The Small Print -- Chapter One
Summary: Charlie lands Edward in jail. Hilarity and community service ensue. However, while on a community service assignment in the lesser known areas around Forks, an encounter with an elderly citizen in need leaves Edward and Bella with a much bigger problem on their hands.
Time Period: Sometime between New Moon and Eclipse.
Pairing: Edward/Bella
Rated: R just to be safe for future chapters. This chapter is completely PG.
Author’s Notes: Another Muse title. Let’s call it my signature mark. ;)
***
Part One
Edward wasn’t making a bit of sense.
Standing in the kitchen over a pot of simmering spaghetti sauce, I stared at the phone in my hand for a minute like it had suddenly turned into something else. Like a banana. “Sorry, can you say that again?” I asked, dumbfounded. “I don’t think I heard you right the first time.”
There was a sharp sigh on the other end of the line. “Charlie arrested me,” Edward repeated, his voice strained and annoyed. “It’s ridiculous.”
“Oh. That’s what I thought you said.”
I set down the spoon I was using to stir the sauce and placed a hand on my hip, weight shifting onto one leg. Well, that certainly wasn’t what I had expected to hear when I’d picked up the phone. It was true that Charlie had never really forgiven Edward for leaving me high and dry for so many months ... and then returning to town once again to take up all my time. But the idea of Charlie abusing his badge just to get back at my off-and-on boyfriend seemed a little beyond the norm.
In fact, the only thing that made any sense was that Charlie had brought Edward in because he had actually done something worthy of an arrest. That was a little disconcerting.
“You didn’t kill anyone, did you?” I asked, perhaps a little more casually than I should have.
“What? No!”
“Because you can tell me if you did.”
“Oh, be sensible, Bella. It’s nothing. Really. Like I said before, utterly ridiculous.”
And yet I remained skeptical. There was always the more obvious conclusion. This was Edward Cullen we were talking about after all.
“Were you driving?” I asked.
“Well ... maybe.”
“Were you speeding?” Then I interrupted myself to answer my own question. “Wait, what am I saying? Of course you were speeding. Silly me.”
A pause, then a careful reply. “Not at that particular moment I wasn’t. You know I have a built-in radar. When I encountered him, I was going forty-two miles an hour. That’s three less than the posted limit.”
“Then what did you do wrong?”
He growled, low under his breath. “I was ... oh, it’s so absurd I don’t even want to say it.”
“Edward, I’m going to find out eventually.”
Another sigh, resigned this time. “I was talking on my cell phone while I was driving,” he said finally, all in one big rush.
“Oh.” My tone was light with relief. Was that all? “That’s illegal in Washington, you know. The hand-free law or whatever it’s called. You’re supposed to use one of those earpieces.”
“Well, I didn’t know that, did I? I wouldn’t have used my cell phone when anyone was around if I had.”
“Wait, he arrested you for that? That seems a little much.”
Edward cleared his throat, then continued in a low voice. “Well, that wasn’t all that went wrong.”
I turned the flame off on the stove and put a lid on top of the sauce. I had a feeling dinner was going to go uneaten tonight. “What else did you do? You didn’t mouth off to him, did you? Charlie gets really mad when reckless drivers do that.”
“I didn’t mouth off. I was painfully polite, as I always am to him. And I’m not a reckless driver.”
“Says you. Come on, what else did you do?”
“Well, I’ve never been pulled over before. I didn’t think I ever would be. So I didn’t have the necessary documents in the car that he wanted.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Such as?”
“Well, for one, the registration on the car was expired,” he admitted. “I forget about that kind of thing sometimes. And I haven’t had it inspected as often as I should have. But I mean have you seen my car? As if it needs inspecting! My emissions alone are probably a thousand times better than that smog-beast truck he bought for you. It’s preposterous.”
“Oh, Edward,” I sighed, rubbing my temple. I had a sudden headache. “Is that all?”
“No.”
“Spill.”
“There’s also the small matter of insurance on the car.”
I groaned. It was going to be a long, long night. “Let me guess. You don’t have it.”
“I hardly think I need it. I’ve never had an accident, and I never will. I’m a superior driver.” I could almost hear him preening like a peacock on the other end of the line.
“And what if someone just happens to rear-end you at a red light?”
“I’d move before they hit me,” he replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
“What if someone hits your car when you’re not in it? Like in a parking lot.”
A pause. “Insurance covers that?”
“Um. Yeah.”
“Oh.” His tone brightened considerably. “Well, that sounds lovely. I’ll look into purchasing it.”
“Anything else? Wait, wait. Let me guess. Your driver’s license is actually fake because you were really born in nineteen-oh-whatever, and Charlie found out when he ran the license number?”
There was another pause, longer this time. “How did you know all that?” he asked suspiciously. “Have you been talking to Alice? If she saw this and chose not to warn me, I’m going to kill her. Are you ... are you laughing, Bella? I find nothing humorous about this.”
I struggled to stifle my sniggers. “It is a little funny. Don’t be mad.”
“Look, I can’t talk much longer, and this is my only phone call. You should see the condition of this payphone. Disgusting.”
“I’m a little surprised you chose to call me. Why not your family?”
Edward made a hmph sound. “Because I’d never hear the end of it. And because Charlie’s your father, and he’ll listen to you. Now come get him off my back. It’s not as if I can bend the bars, walk out, and hope he doesn’t say anything when I pick you up for our next date.”
“Okay, okay,” I said as I grabbed my keys. “I’ll be there soon enough. Oh, and Edward?”
“What is it, Bella?”
“Don’t drop the soap until I get there.”
He hung up on me, and I melted into giggles.
***
It was raining outside - of course - because it was Washington, and that’s just how it was. I maneuvered the streets with care, my old truck’s shabby tires slipping a bit whenever I tried to accelerate. When I got to the police department, I was surprised to see a familiar car in the parking lot. Not someone I expected at all. My shoulders tensed, my heartbeat quickened.
“Jacob?” I asked when I got inside, shaking rainwater from my hair. I’d had to run from the car to keep from getting soaked. It had almost worked. “What are you doing here?”
I asked the question hesitantly, almost shyly. A hopeful smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. We still weren’t at the same place we had been before Edward’s return to Forks. In fact, Jacob remained pretty mad at me. I hadn’t heard a thing from him in a long time, and he ignored my calls. I wasn’t even sure if he would talk to me now with me standing right in front of him.
He loomed in the corner of the station, right at the entrance. There were a few chairs lined up for visitors to wait, but Jacob had chosen to lean against wall instead. His dark eyes were laughing, his mouth pulled into a smirk. But when he turned and saw me, a myriad of emotions floated across his face. Bitterness. Affection. Maybe a little smugness.
“Oh,” he said, his tone even. “Hi.”
I thrilled at the sound of his voice. My best friend - actually speaking to me again. I repeated my question and asked why he was there.
He shrugged his tense shoulders. “Just here for the show, is all. I can guess why you showed up.”
I grimaced. “How’d you find out?”
“About the bloodsucker getting arrested? I was with Charlie when he pulled him over.” Jacob broke off, eyes focusing anywhere but my face. He smiled at the ground, like he was remembering something that made him very, very happy. “It was great.”
My frown deepened. No wonder Edward had been so annoyed. He hadn’t told me Jacob had been there. “What were you doing with Charlie? Male bonding or something?”
I didn’t mean for it to sound like an accusation, but it certainly came out that way. Charlie obviously liked Jacob more than Edward. I could deal with that, though it hurt. But what hurt far more than that was the knowledge that Jacob was associating with Charlie ... but not with me.
“Something like that, yeah.” Jacob eyed me carefully, and despite his irritation, I could see that he missed me just as much as I missed him. “Look. I should go. You...” He sighed harshly, hands digging into his pockets. “You look good, Bella. Happier. I’m glad for that much. I just wish ... there was a different way to make you happy.”
I didn’t wish that at all. Having Edward back after all those months alone - I was dizzy with happiness and relief. All the time. I still cared for Jacob, my pillar of strength during the darkest time of my life. I hated that I couldn’t reciprocate what he felt for me, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“I’m sorry, Jake,” I told him. I’m pretty sure he caught my meaning. I wasn’t apologizing for being happy but rather because our friendship had suffered from it. I wanted to reach out and touch his arm. He seemed to anticipate the movement and abruptly moved toward the door. I froze in place, stung.
He stopped in the doorway and looked back one last time. His eyes were apologetic ... but still heated. Stubborn. “Bye, Bella. I bet if you ask Charlie, he’ll let you see the mug shot.”
I smiled at him, a tiny nugget of hope burrowing into my chest. “It was good seeing you, Jake.”
He didn’t reply - just swept from the station, shoulders hunched against the rain, hands still in his pockets. I don’t know why, but I had the feeling, depending on Edward’s punishment, that Jacob would be outside of my bedroom window watching me that night. Oh, well. Nothing I could do about it.
Pulling myself from my thoughts, I waved to the cop on duty at the desk and went to the back where my dad’s office was located. Charlie was bent over some paperwork, engrossed as he munched noisily on a stereotypical donut. He hated his office and rarely spent any time there. Only after receiving plea after plea for him to complete his paperwork would he ever venture there. There were no less than four forgotten cups of coffee on his desk, only one of them steaming, still hot. He didn’t notice me and punched away on a calculator like it had done something wrong.
I leaned against the door-jam and cleared my throat.
“Charlie.”
He glanced up from his work. A satisfied smile formed on his face.
“Bella.”
“Well?” I asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of his desk. I held my hand out. “Let’s see it.”
His smile widened into a full-fledged grin. Fumbling momentarily through his paperwork, he pulled out a document with Edward’s name and information printed on it. The mugshot was paper-clipped to the top, right next to the rows of boxes that contained his fingerprints.
The picture looked like a GQ centerfold - one where the model’s face is wracked with so much exquisite angst that his eyes seemed to say, I’m so utterly beautiful that it hurts.
I handed it back reluctantly. “I’ll be wanting a copy of this.”
Charlie nodded his understanding. “I’ll make two. Hey, didn’t I ground you? What are you doing outside the house? And what about dinner?”
“Oh, come on, dad! You arrested my boyfriend and didn’t even call to let me know. Do you really expect me to stay at home and do nothing?”
Charlie shook his head in resigned disapproval. “All right, I guess. You can go back and see him if you want, but I gotta tell you, Bell. He’s in a heap of trouble. Driving with a fake license? No insurance, expired registration, expired everything. He’s going to be lucky if he can get a real license for a good, long while. We’re talking a night in jail. Fines. Community service, if he plays his cards right. And you, young lady, are not going to convince me to let him out.”
“I know. Just go easy on him.”
“I’ll go easy on him when I know you’re in good hands with him. He hasn’t proved that to me, yet, and it’s gonna be a snowy day in hell when he does. This certainly isn’t helping me trust him anymore. I should forbid you to see him all together.”
“I’m eighteen now, dad. You can’t just do that and expect me to stick around.”
His face flushed red with anger, but he said nothing more regarding that particular matter. Sometimes Charlie was smart enough to pick his battles with care. He chose another, coming at me from a different angle. “Did you know about any of this car nonsense beforehand?”
“No. He just told me on the phone.”
Charlie started up his classic Well, Jacob rant then. Well, Jacob does this. And Jacob told me that. My vision sort of went unfocused, and I hummed a little song in my head until he was finished with all the hero worship.
“Are you even listening to me, Bella?”
“Are there anymore donuts?” I said by means of a reply.
Charlie growled, his face shifting from red to purple, a color I was becoming all too familiar with. He pointed to the greasy, pink box on top of his filing cabinet. “He doesn’t get one. And if you touch the jelly-filled, you’re grounded. More.”
***
Led by a police officer, I carried my hard-fought jelly donut with me to Edward’s cell. Besides him, all of the other cells were empty save one. One of the town winos was in it, high on something, mumbling about zeta reticulans and the end of the world as we know it. It was a very Behind the Music moment.
I almost felt sorry for Edward when I saw him. Almost.
He sat on the cement ground, his legs bent at the knees, his head in his hands. He looked up, inhaling sharply when he caught a hint of my smell. His eyes narrowed, and he pressed his lips together in a thin, disapproving line. Whatever bothered him, I couldn’t begin to guess.
When the deputy left us, I waited for Edward to say something. He didn’t. He looked so utterly pathetic sitting there, his hair disheveled from constantly raking his fingers through it. Even his clothes were a little wrinkled. And yet he still managed to look absolutely edible. It was mind-boggling.
“Hey there, big guy,” I said, kneeling down to his level with my hands on the bars. “So. In the big house, huh? Got the shake-down? Gonna ride the train all the way to cooking school? Lucky you called me. See, I know a guy who knows a guy whose third cousin’s baby daddy can help you score a shank and a few reefers. I’m talkin real currency if you know what I’m sayin. You know what I’m sayin?”
Edward glared at me. “You smell of wet dog.”
My grin almost split my face. I reached out to take one of his hands in mine, squeezing it reassuringly. “Jake was out front, but nevermind that,” I said, wanting him to steer clear of the subject of Jacob for obvious reasons. “Are you okay?”
He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as he looked elsewhere. “Fine.”
“Oh, don’t be so grumpy. At least Charlie let me come and check on you. I got around the being grounded thing at least for tonight. That was a miracle in and of itself.”
“Charlie’s making me stay here overnight.”
“Well. That’s not so bad, is it?” I asked, trying to soothe him. “One night is nothing. It’s already starting to get dark outside. You’ll be out before you know it. Do you want me to call your family for you? They must be worried.”
“They already know. Alice told them. I can hear them in my head, laughing. They’ll visit later tonight.”
I bit my lower lip. I was going to have to give Alice a call so we could exchange a few chuckles at Edward’s expense. Now there was something to look forward to. And here I thought the evening would be boring.
“Edward, what were you thinking?” I scolded gently. “I had no idea all that stuff was wrong with your registration and license. You could be in so much more trouble than you’re in right now. Charlie said you won’t be able to get a real license for a long time. Your driving privileges are revoked.”
“That ... I might have a bit of difficulty accepting.”
I groaned. “You’re not going to still drive around, are you? Edward, please. You don’t need to get in any more trouble than you’re already in.”
“Built-in radar, remember?”
“Yes, because that worked out for you so well the first time,” I deadpanned. “Promise me. No driving!”
Edward swore under his breath.
I blinked in surprised. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?” I said, disapproving.
He thought about it for a moment. “I really can’t recall.”
“I was being facetious.”
“Oh. Well, you should work on your delivery. There’s a certain rhythm you have to maintain.”
“Promise me, Edward. No driving.”
He sighed. “I’ll refrain unless it’s absolutely necessary. I can ride with one of my family until then. Or with you. Though on second thought, your sluggish pace will probably drive me mad. I would rather run everywhere than resort to that.”
I reached through the bars to cup his icy, smooth cheek in my hand. He looked up at me, his expression too sullen and pitiable to continue with my teasing. “Hey. Cheer up, okay? Charlie said I could stay for half an hour. That’s more than they usually allow here. That’s something, isn’t it? Want me to get the cop at the front desk to let me in the cell? He likes me, and his wife works at the hospital with Carlisle. I bet he would make an exception for us.”
Edward nodded wordlessly.
I did get let me in. The cop knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t cause any trouble. And Edward was a model citizen except for this little incident. No one had expected to ever see one of the Cullens in a cell. Well ... except for maybe Charlie.
I melted down into Edward’s lap, and he cradled me close like a child. Both of us were instantly free of tension. “Bella?” he asked quietly, his mouth pressed against my hair. “Thanks for coming.”
I rubbed my face against his neck, reveling in his scent that I had been deprived of for far too long. “Thanks for calling me.”
We sat and listened to the rain.
***
To be continued.
Author’s Note: Written in honor of California’s new hands-free law ... because some people need to get off their freaking phones and just DRIVE already. GAH. *ahem* Hope you enjoyed.
Time Period: Sometime between New Moon and Eclipse.
Pairing: Edward/Bella
Rated: R just to be safe for future chapters. This chapter is completely PG.
Author’s Notes: Another Muse title. Let’s call it my signature mark. ;)
***
Part One
Edward wasn’t making a bit of sense.
Standing in the kitchen over a pot of simmering spaghetti sauce, I stared at the phone in my hand for a minute like it had suddenly turned into something else. Like a banana. “Sorry, can you say that again?” I asked, dumbfounded. “I don’t think I heard you right the first time.”
There was a sharp sigh on the other end of the line. “Charlie arrested me,” Edward repeated, his voice strained and annoyed. “It’s ridiculous.”
“Oh. That’s what I thought you said.”
I set down the spoon I was using to stir the sauce and placed a hand on my hip, weight shifting onto one leg. Well, that certainly wasn’t what I had expected to hear when I’d picked up the phone. It was true that Charlie had never really forgiven Edward for leaving me high and dry for so many months ... and then returning to town once again to take up all my time. But the idea of Charlie abusing his badge just to get back at my off-and-on boyfriend seemed a little beyond the norm.
In fact, the only thing that made any sense was that Charlie had brought Edward in because he had actually done something worthy of an arrest. That was a little disconcerting.
“You didn’t kill anyone, did you?” I asked, perhaps a little more casually than I should have.
“What? No!”
“Because you can tell me if you did.”
“Oh, be sensible, Bella. It’s nothing. Really. Like I said before, utterly ridiculous.”
And yet I remained skeptical. There was always the more obvious conclusion. This was Edward Cullen we were talking about after all.
“Were you driving?” I asked.
“Well ... maybe.”
“Were you speeding?” Then I interrupted myself to answer my own question. “Wait, what am I saying? Of course you were speeding. Silly me.”
A pause, then a careful reply. “Not at that particular moment I wasn’t. You know I have a built-in radar. When I encountered him, I was going forty-two miles an hour. That’s three less than the posted limit.”
“Then what did you do wrong?”
He growled, low under his breath. “I was ... oh, it’s so absurd I don’t even want to say it.”
“Edward, I’m going to find out eventually.”
Another sigh, resigned this time. “I was talking on my cell phone while I was driving,” he said finally, all in one big rush.
“Oh.” My tone was light with relief. Was that all? “That’s illegal in Washington, you know. The hand-free law or whatever it’s called. You’re supposed to use one of those earpieces.”
“Well, I didn’t know that, did I? I wouldn’t have used my cell phone when anyone was around if I had.”
“Wait, he arrested you for that? That seems a little much.”
Edward cleared his throat, then continued in a low voice. “Well, that wasn’t all that went wrong.”
I turned the flame off on the stove and put a lid on top of the sauce. I had a feeling dinner was going to go uneaten tonight. “What else did you do? You didn’t mouth off to him, did you? Charlie gets really mad when reckless drivers do that.”
“I didn’t mouth off. I was painfully polite, as I always am to him. And I’m not a reckless driver.”
“Says you. Come on, what else did you do?”
“Well, I’ve never been pulled over before. I didn’t think I ever would be. So I didn’t have the necessary documents in the car that he wanted.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Such as?”
“Well, for one, the registration on the car was expired,” he admitted. “I forget about that kind of thing sometimes. And I haven’t had it inspected as often as I should have. But I mean have you seen my car? As if it needs inspecting! My emissions alone are probably a thousand times better than that smog-beast truck he bought for you. It’s preposterous.”
“Oh, Edward,” I sighed, rubbing my temple. I had a sudden headache. “Is that all?”
“No.”
“Spill.”
“There’s also the small matter of insurance on the car.”
I groaned. It was going to be a long, long night. “Let me guess. You don’t have it.”
“I hardly think I need it. I’ve never had an accident, and I never will. I’m a superior driver.” I could almost hear him preening like a peacock on the other end of the line.
“And what if someone just happens to rear-end you at a red light?”
“I’d move before they hit me,” he replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
“What if someone hits your car when you’re not in it? Like in a parking lot.”
A pause. “Insurance covers that?”
“Um. Yeah.”
“Oh.” His tone brightened considerably. “Well, that sounds lovely. I’ll look into purchasing it.”
“Anything else? Wait, wait. Let me guess. Your driver’s license is actually fake because you were really born in nineteen-oh-whatever, and Charlie found out when he ran the license number?”
There was another pause, longer this time. “How did you know all that?” he asked suspiciously. “Have you been talking to Alice? If she saw this and chose not to warn me, I’m going to kill her. Are you ... are you laughing, Bella? I find nothing humorous about this.”
I struggled to stifle my sniggers. “It is a little funny. Don’t be mad.”
“Look, I can’t talk much longer, and this is my only phone call. You should see the condition of this payphone. Disgusting.”
“I’m a little surprised you chose to call me. Why not your family?”
Edward made a hmph sound. “Because I’d never hear the end of it. And because Charlie’s your father, and he’ll listen to you. Now come get him off my back. It’s not as if I can bend the bars, walk out, and hope he doesn’t say anything when I pick you up for our next date.”
“Okay, okay,” I said as I grabbed my keys. “I’ll be there soon enough. Oh, and Edward?”
“What is it, Bella?”
“Don’t drop the soap until I get there.”
He hung up on me, and I melted into giggles.
***
It was raining outside - of course - because it was Washington, and that’s just how it was. I maneuvered the streets with care, my old truck’s shabby tires slipping a bit whenever I tried to accelerate. When I got to the police department, I was surprised to see a familiar car in the parking lot. Not someone I expected at all. My shoulders tensed, my heartbeat quickened.
“Jacob?” I asked when I got inside, shaking rainwater from my hair. I’d had to run from the car to keep from getting soaked. It had almost worked. “What are you doing here?”
I asked the question hesitantly, almost shyly. A hopeful smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. We still weren’t at the same place we had been before Edward’s return to Forks. In fact, Jacob remained pretty mad at me. I hadn’t heard a thing from him in a long time, and he ignored my calls. I wasn’t even sure if he would talk to me now with me standing right in front of him.
He loomed in the corner of the station, right at the entrance. There were a few chairs lined up for visitors to wait, but Jacob had chosen to lean against wall instead. His dark eyes were laughing, his mouth pulled into a smirk. But when he turned and saw me, a myriad of emotions floated across his face. Bitterness. Affection. Maybe a little smugness.
“Oh,” he said, his tone even. “Hi.”
I thrilled at the sound of his voice. My best friend - actually speaking to me again. I repeated my question and asked why he was there.
He shrugged his tense shoulders. “Just here for the show, is all. I can guess why you showed up.”
I grimaced. “How’d you find out?”
“About the bloodsucker getting arrested? I was with Charlie when he pulled him over.” Jacob broke off, eyes focusing anywhere but my face. He smiled at the ground, like he was remembering something that made him very, very happy. “It was great.”
My frown deepened. No wonder Edward had been so annoyed. He hadn’t told me Jacob had been there. “What were you doing with Charlie? Male bonding or something?”
I didn’t mean for it to sound like an accusation, but it certainly came out that way. Charlie obviously liked Jacob more than Edward. I could deal with that, though it hurt. But what hurt far more than that was the knowledge that Jacob was associating with Charlie ... but not with me.
“Something like that, yeah.” Jacob eyed me carefully, and despite his irritation, I could see that he missed me just as much as I missed him. “Look. I should go. You...” He sighed harshly, hands digging into his pockets. “You look good, Bella. Happier. I’m glad for that much. I just wish ... there was a different way to make you happy.”
I didn’t wish that at all. Having Edward back after all those months alone - I was dizzy with happiness and relief. All the time. I still cared for Jacob, my pillar of strength during the darkest time of my life. I hated that I couldn’t reciprocate what he felt for me, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“I’m sorry, Jake,” I told him. I’m pretty sure he caught my meaning. I wasn’t apologizing for being happy but rather because our friendship had suffered from it. I wanted to reach out and touch his arm. He seemed to anticipate the movement and abruptly moved toward the door. I froze in place, stung.
He stopped in the doorway and looked back one last time. His eyes were apologetic ... but still heated. Stubborn. “Bye, Bella. I bet if you ask Charlie, he’ll let you see the mug shot.”
I smiled at him, a tiny nugget of hope burrowing into my chest. “It was good seeing you, Jake.”
He didn’t reply - just swept from the station, shoulders hunched against the rain, hands still in his pockets. I don’t know why, but I had the feeling, depending on Edward’s punishment, that Jacob would be outside of my bedroom window watching me that night. Oh, well. Nothing I could do about it.
Pulling myself from my thoughts, I waved to the cop on duty at the desk and went to the back where my dad’s office was located. Charlie was bent over some paperwork, engrossed as he munched noisily on a stereotypical donut. He hated his office and rarely spent any time there. Only after receiving plea after plea for him to complete his paperwork would he ever venture there. There were no less than four forgotten cups of coffee on his desk, only one of them steaming, still hot. He didn’t notice me and punched away on a calculator like it had done something wrong.
I leaned against the door-jam and cleared my throat.
“Charlie.”
He glanced up from his work. A satisfied smile formed on his face.
“Bella.”
“Well?” I asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of his desk. I held my hand out. “Let’s see it.”
His smile widened into a full-fledged grin. Fumbling momentarily through his paperwork, he pulled out a document with Edward’s name and information printed on it. The mugshot was paper-clipped to the top, right next to the rows of boxes that contained his fingerprints.
The picture looked like a GQ centerfold - one where the model’s face is wracked with so much exquisite angst that his eyes seemed to say, I’m so utterly beautiful that it hurts.
I handed it back reluctantly. “I’ll be wanting a copy of this.”
Charlie nodded his understanding. “I’ll make two. Hey, didn’t I ground you? What are you doing outside the house? And what about dinner?”
“Oh, come on, dad! You arrested my boyfriend and didn’t even call to let me know. Do you really expect me to stay at home and do nothing?”
Charlie shook his head in resigned disapproval. “All right, I guess. You can go back and see him if you want, but I gotta tell you, Bell. He’s in a heap of trouble. Driving with a fake license? No insurance, expired registration, expired everything. He’s going to be lucky if he can get a real license for a good, long while. We’re talking a night in jail. Fines. Community service, if he plays his cards right. And you, young lady, are not going to convince me to let him out.”
“I know. Just go easy on him.”
“I’ll go easy on him when I know you’re in good hands with him. He hasn’t proved that to me, yet, and it’s gonna be a snowy day in hell when he does. This certainly isn’t helping me trust him anymore. I should forbid you to see him all together.”
“I’m eighteen now, dad. You can’t just do that and expect me to stick around.”
His face flushed red with anger, but he said nothing more regarding that particular matter. Sometimes Charlie was smart enough to pick his battles with care. He chose another, coming at me from a different angle. “Did you know about any of this car nonsense beforehand?”
“No. He just told me on the phone.”
Charlie started up his classic Well, Jacob rant then. Well, Jacob does this. And Jacob told me that. My vision sort of went unfocused, and I hummed a little song in my head until he was finished with all the hero worship.
“Are you even listening to me, Bella?”
“Are there anymore donuts?” I said by means of a reply.
Charlie growled, his face shifting from red to purple, a color I was becoming all too familiar with. He pointed to the greasy, pink box on top of his filing cabinet. “He doesn’t get one. And if you touch the jelly-filled, you’re grounded. More.”
***
Led by a police officer, I carried my hard-fought jelly donut with me to Edward’s cell. Besides him, all of the other cells were empty save one. One of the town winos was in it, high on something, mumbling about zeta reticulans and the end of the world as we know it. It was a very Behind the Music moment.
I almost felt sorry for Edward when I saw him. Almost.
He sat on the cement ground, his legs bent at the knees, his head in his hands. He looked up, inhaling sharply when he caught a hint of my smell. His eyes narrowed, and he pressed his lips together in a thin, disapproving line. Whatever bothered him, I couldn’t begin to guess.
When the deputy left us, I waited for Edward to say something. He didn’t. He looked so utterly pathetic sitting there, his hair disheveled from constantly raking his fingers through it. Even his clothes were a little wrinkled. And yet he still managed to look absolutely edible. It was mind-boggling.
“Hey there, big guy,” I said, kneeling down to his level with my hands on the bars. “So. In the big house, huh? Got the shake-down? Gonna ride the train all the way to cooking school? Lucky you called me. See, I know a guy who knows a guy whose third cousin’s baby daddy can help you score a shank and a few reefers. I’m talkin real currency if you know what I’m sayin. You know what I’m sayin?”
Edward glared at me. “You smell of wet dog.”
My grin almost split my face. I reached out to take one of his hands in mine, squeezing it reassuringly. “Jake was out front, but nevermind that,” I said, wanting him to steer clear of the subject of Jacob for obvious reasons. “Are you okay?”
He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as he looked elsewhere. “Fine.”
“Oh, don’t be so grumpy. At least Charlie let me come and check on you. I got around the being grounded thing at least for tonight. That was a miracle in and of itself.”
“Charlie’s making me stay here overnight.”
“Well. That’s not so bad, is it?” I asked, trying to soothe him. “One night is nothing. It’s already starting to get dark outside. You’ll be out before you know it. Do you want me to call your family for you? They must be worried.”
“They already know. Alice told them. I can hear them in my head, laughing. They’ll visit later tonight.”
I bit my lower lip. I was going to have to give Alice a call so we could exchange a few chuckles at Edward’s expense. Now there was something to look forward to. And here I thought the evening would be boring.
“Edward, what were you thinking?” I scolded gently. “I had no idea all that stuff was wrong with your registration and license. You could be in so much more trouble than you’re in right now. Charlie said you won’t be able to get a real license for a long time. Your driving privileges are revoked.”
“That ... I might have a bit of difficulty accepting.”
I groaned. “You’re not going to still drive around, are you? Edward, please. You don’t need to get in any more trouble than you’re already in.”
“Built-in radar, remember?”
“Yes, because that worked out for you so well the first time,” I deadpanned. “Promise me. No driving!”
Edward swore under his breath.
I blinked in surprised. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?” I said, disapproving.
He thought about it for a moment. “I really can’t recall.”
“I was being facetious.”
“Oh. Well, you should work on your delivery. There’s a certain rhythm you have to maintain.”
“Promise me, Edward. No driving.”
He sighed. “I’ll refrain unless it’s absolutely necessary. I can ride with one of my family until then. Or with you. Though on second thought, your sluggish pace will probably drive me mad. I would rather run everywhere than resort to that.”
I reached through the bars to cup his icy, smooth cheek in my hand. He looked up at me, his expression too sullen and pitiable to continue with my teasing. “Hey. Cheer up, okay? Charlie said I could stay for half an hour. That’s more than they usually allow here. That’s something, isn’t it? Want me to get the cop at the front desk to let me in the cell? He likes me, and his wife works at the hospital with Carlisle. I bet he would make an exception for us.”
Edward nodded wordlessly.
I did get let me in. The cop knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t cause any trouble. And Edward was a model citizen except for this little incident. No one had expected to ever see one of the Cullens in a cell. Well ... except for maybe Charlie.
I melted down into Edward’s lap, and he cradled me close like a child. Both of us were instantly free of tension. “Bella?” he asked quietly, his mouth pressed against my hair. “Thanks for coming.”
I rubbed my face against his neck, reveling in his scent that I had been deprived of for far too long. “Thanks for calling me.”
We sat and listened to the rain.
***
To be continued.
Author’s Note: Written in honor of California’s new hands-free law ... because some people need to get off their freaking phones and just DRIVE already. GAH. *ahem* Hope you enjoyed.