Twilight: But it's a Thriller and I Never Read Twilight

Chapter 33: White Lies

"Dad," I said, not looking at him, but at the dials on the dashboard of the truck. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course," he said. He was unbuckling himself from the seat, but stopped as soon as I asked him. "Whatcha thinking, Bells?"

"I'm graduating soon," I said. I had to start somewhere.

"In a few months," he said. "We still got time. Are you worried about college?"

I hadn't thought seriously about college in a long time. That world didn't exist for me anymore. It didn't matter. "It's not that," I admitted. "It's more about Edward."

Charlie cut me off with a wave of his hand. "I don't want to know about that. Just make sure you use protection, and not just birth control. You need to always use a condom too."

"Dad," I snapped. I wanted to be embarrassed, but I couldn't manage it right now while I was trying to tell him something this important. I chewed the words around in my mouth for a second. "He asked me to marry him."

Charlie's face fell at my proclamation. I tried to read his expression, but it was closed off to me like he was still trying to process it. He didn't have a response yet. Eventually, he looked at me and said, "And you said no?"

I shook my head. "I said yes."

He nodded like I had just told him I was dying and looked instead to the house. "You can't do that, Bells."

"I'm an adult," I told him. There was nothing he could really do, but I wanted him to be on board. I wanted him there even if it was the last time we saw each other. "I love him."

"I know that. I know he's important to you, but you have so much to do first," he said. "You have so much to do. College. Have you even thought about college? Does he know where he's going to college?"

It didn't matter where Edward was going to college. He'd been there a million times before and he'd do it again. He'd get in wherever he went. And me, I'd follow him wherever he went. But that wasn't going to be enough for Charlie. That wasn't an answer that made sense.

"We'll figure it all out," I said. "If we love each other, we'll be able to work it out."

Charlie shook his head and looked to me again, finally. He looked near to tears, not like he was mad, but like he was grief-stricken. He didn't have to know all the details of the Cullens. He knew he was losing me anyway. "Bells. It's a lot more complicated than that. Let's go into the house and talk about this."

"No," I snapped. I didn't want him to try and talk me out of it. Something was hardwired in my brain, something that told me he was going to try and stop me. He was going to make me wait and I wasn't going to wait.

"Look, we both smell like fish. Let's go inside and clean up and then we'll figure this out," Charlie said.

"I have it figured out," I argued. "I'm marrying Edward."

Finally, he broke, his anger bursting to the surface. I'd never really seen my Dad angry before, but the look on his face tore me to shreds. His forehead went red and his eyes dark. "Bella, you're too young to make this decision."

"I'm not too young. I'm an adult," I snapped. I didn't even know where the assertion came from. It was like the second I turned eighteen everything had changed, but no, nothing had changed. I hadn't changed. I was still the lost little girl in the woods. But Edward was back in my life now. I couldn't lose him again.