Elizabeth Rain Swan || A Paul Lahote Love Story

Chapter 1

Bella was moving home. Joy. Not. She's always hated me, but I've been nothing but nice to her. My dad says she hates me because my mom hates me, which is true. Dad wanted to have me to try and save their failing marriage, and Mom only went along to get Dad to sign the divorce papers sooner. 16 years ago, shortly after my birth, Mom took Bella and left for Phoenix, refusing to have anything to do with me. But, that's fine by me because Dad and I get along great.

"Hey, Liz," Dad said, appearing in the door way of my fairly small bedroom. It was just big enough to hold my bed, a dresser, and a desk, but I loved it anyways.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I've got to go pick Bella up and then Billy and Jake are coming over. Do you want to ride with me?" He asked.

"Sure," I said, grabbing a Mariners hoodie and pulling it on over my head.

Dad drove the Police cruiser to Port Angeles, and I rode in the front seat. Being in the cruiser hasn't ever bothered me like it does Bella. I almost asked if we could bring my car, well future car, but decided against it. I could stand sitting in the back seat of the cruiser, but over my dead body was Bella getting the front seat in my car over me.

"Lizzie," my dad said as he pulled into the parking lot at the airport. "Remember what we talked about."

"Yeah," I said, before clearing my throat. "Be nice to Bella. Make her feel welcome and at home. You want her to stick around."

"Don't you want her here?" He asked.

"Do you want the truth, or my save-you-feelings answer?" I asked.

"Both," he said. He always wanted to know every possible way to answer a question, I guess that's why he's so good at his job.

"Truth. No, but I said yes because you do," I said. We both got out of the car and headed into the building to wait for Bella.

The ride home was awkward to say the least. Bella and Dad aren't really all that great at communicating, and since I was banished to the back seat, I couldn't try to diffuse the awkwardness. Dad tried to talk, he really did, but Bella's just too awkward to carry on a real conversation. Maybe that's why Dad and I get along so well. I can hold a conversation with just about anyone.

"Jake," I yelled as I climbed out of the cruiser.

"Banished to the back seat?" He asked, laughing at me.

"Bella is a year older, therefore she gets the front seat," I said, rolling my eyes at my dad's rule.

"So how do you like it?" Dad asked, motioning to the truck.

Bella started freaking out once she realized that it was her homecoming present.

"Yeah, I totally rebuilt the engine," Jake said.

"We rebuilt the engine," I added before they both shot me death glares.

"Ah, cmon Jake," I said.

"You wouldn't know half of what you do without her," Billy said, causing me to stick my tongue out at him.

"Is she always this childish?" Bella asked, causing me to walk away.

If Jake wanted to be friends with Bella and not me, so be it. I have other friends, like Luke and Morgan and Quil and Embry and Seth and Leah and Paul.