Never Said I Didn't Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“Goodnight, Edward,” Bella says. She runs her hands around my wet shoulders and into my hair, pulling me toward her. Charlie’s eyes are burning a hole in my head. I have to make a quick get away when she’s done in hopes he doesn’t kick my ass.

Her lips are on mine fast and sure, and as much as I want to speed things up, I can’t because as Charlie said, I am a boy, and I like kissing Bella. My arms wrap around her waist, and I give as good as I get, almost forgetting we have an audience. Almost.

Bella slips down the hallway and into her bedroom, and I’m left to fend for myself.

But not for long.

“Go home. Now.” It’s official: Charlie Swan hates me. And I didn’t even deflower his daughter yet. That must be some kind of record.

I don’t even say goodbye. I pass Renee, who’s smirking. She’s such a strange woman, but I have a new respect for her. I can see where Bella gets her toughness from. I arrive home in two point three seconds and release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

A light flips on when I get into the kitchen.

“Ack!”

“Sorry,” Dad says, chuckling. “You okay? Manhood still intact?”

“Yeah.”

“Charlie was so mad,” he says, trying to hold in his laughter. I’m glad he finds joy in my fear, but this is suspiciously happy for him. I lean in, sniffing. He doesn’t smell like alcohol. Hmm.

“He’s scary as hell.”

“You never saw your grandfather angry. Now he was scary. I avoided him as much as possible. Spent more time going in and out of your mother’s window than I did using the front door.”

“Really?” I grimace. TMI, Dad.

“Not that I condone that,” he says, clearing his throat. “You are safe though, right?”

“Yeah. We were just at the park. We’re fine.”

“No, I mean, you’re being safe? You have condoms or Bella’s on birth control?”

“Oh, blah. Mom just gave me this lecture. It’s not like that. We . . . never mind.”

“You haven’t?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“It’s Bella. I want to . . . I don’t know . . . do it right.”

“You will. You’re a Cullen.” Dad smirks, looking a hell of a lot like Garrett, and walks away. “Night, Edward,” he says as he passes me and heads to his room.

“Weird night,” I mumble to myself as I get out my frozen grapes, hoping they’ll stave off nightmares of Charlie chopping my body into bits and throwing them into some ravine.