Okay so here is another chapter, leave your thoughts. Now, for those of you who are fans of Jacob, I'm sorry if you don't like the way his character is portrayed in her. Now, I know in the book he would never do this, but this isn't exactly like the book and the whole Jacob hates Edward and Edward hates Jacob thing fits the story perfectly which is why I used him as Liyah's father. So, again, sorry to Jacob fans because he does come across as a genuine asshole in this chapter. Okay so for this chapter I would honeslty rate this chapter M for the strong language use in it, but it won't be that bad through the whole story. So I apologize to those who hate swearing for the language. Anyway, read and review, leave me with your thoughts on this chapter. This one is double the length of the other one, but it got Edward and Bella talking about some issues Edward needed to hear about.
Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Twilight that would be Stephenie Meyer.
Bella's Point of View
A few minutes past four thirty Charlie walked in the front door clad in his uniform and I walked down the stairs with Liyah.
"Okay so there are a few bottles in the fridge heat those up like I wrote down on the paper by the microwave. She'll probably fall asleep around eight. There are diapers in my room by my bed along with some pajamas she can wear. Other than that I'm sure you will be fine."
I handed him Liyah and went upstairs and shut my door and went to where I had hung the dress on the closet door. Tonight was supposed to be a very formal occasion and I had picked out the perfect outfit and if Alice, Edward, and Jasper showed up Alice would definitely approve. I slid into the dress. It was black and strapless and went about mid-thigh on my leg. Right beneath my chest it had one part of the fabric tucking under another part and that part under another part. I was thankful that all the hours I spent at the gym had paid off when I could zip the dress easily. I put on the pair of black heels that were accented by small silver gems. I was pleased that I had grown somewhat out of my lack of coordination, well enough that I wouldn't kill myself in heels.
I took the hot curling iron and revamped my loose curls and applied a smoky shade of eye shadow and mascara before adding a light pink shade of lip gloss and throwing the container into the purse sitting on my dresser. I slid the small diamond earrings Renée had given me when I graduated from Yale and the pearl necklace that had belonged to my grandmother. I then opened the tiny jewelry box that hadn't been moved off the desk in my bedroom and pulled out the antique diamond ring Edward had given me so many years ago and slid it onto my ring finger on my right hand. I checked my purse and after ensuring that everything was in it I slid the grey coat on over the dress and tied it shut and made my way from the house to my silver 2010 Mazda 3, making my way quickly to the country club where the reunion was being held, anxious to see who all actually showed up.
Much to my surprise almost the whole class had shown up, except for five people. Three of which I had hoped would be there. It was nearly five twenty and they still hadn't shown. I sat down and put my purse on the table beside the empty plates that would be used for dinner in ten minutes and laid my hand against my cheek. I picked up the glass of champagne I had been sipping all night and quickly swallowed the last half of it and grabbing another one from a passing waiter.
"Who would have thought Bella Swan would end up being a hard core drinker." I looked up at the familiar voice and saw Mike standing there laughing, a gold wedding band on his left hand.
"It's always the quiet ones Mike, come on you know that," We both laughed for a moment before I continued, "I actually don't drink that much, in fact I haven't had a drink for almost a year."
"Are you serious?" I could tell he was actually shocked by his facial expression.
"Yes Mike, I'm serious. There are a lot of things I couldn't do this past year. Who are you married to?"
"You know her actually."
"Jessica?" He nodded and I squealed, "No way! How long have you been married?"
"A few months actually."
I sent him a mock offended face, "I'm kind of disappointed I wasn't invited to the wedding," He laughed, "Really though, congratulations, next time you find Jessica tell her I'm looking for her. But, can you believe it's already been ten years?"
"Not at all, I like to think of it as a five year reunion so I don't feel quite as old," I laughed liking his thinking, "Why didn't you show up to graduation?"
I looked down, I had been expecting this question sooner or later, I was hoping for later though. "The day we got out a week before Edward broke up with me and it left me shattered. I couldn't muster up the strength to face everyone so I stayed home."
"I knew he was a jerk."
"No, Mike, he did it because he said there was someone better for me, but he was wrong. That's kind of the reason why I came, I was hoping to talk to him, but I don't see him." Mike looked around the room and back at me.
"You might get your wish, look who just came in." I looked over at the door and saw Alice walking in with her arm around Jasper's and I jumped from my seat and ran as fast as I could in my heels without falling.
"Alice!" She saw me coming and broke from Jasper's arm and wrapped her arms around me.
"Bella who the hell dressed you?"
I laughed, "Me."
"No, really, who dressed you? The Bella I know doesn't dress like this unless I make her."
"Alice I swear to you, I dressed myself. I was hoping you'd be here so I could impress you."
"Wait, wait, wait, did I just see you run across the room in heels?" I nodded and she frowned, "What happened to my clumsy friend Bella?"
"She's still clumsy just a little less than she used to be."
"By the way Bella, you look fantastic, what's your secret?"
"You should have seen me four months ago, I was huge." She thought for a moment, slightly confused by what I said and suddenly her face lit up in shock and I nodded my head.
"What? When? Who's?"
"I was engaged to Jacob, you remember Jacob Black, and when I told him I was pregnant he broke off the engagement because he wasn't ready to be a dad, said he probably never would be. I haven't seen him since I told him." She wrapped her arms around me and I was glad we could still be friends like we were in high school, "I've missed you Alice." She laughed and nodded her head in agreement as a smooth, deep voice filled my ears.
"Nice ring."
Edward's Point of View
I pulled into the packed parking lot of the local country club and drove around until I found a spot that was relatively close to the front door. I locked the same car I had owned since high school and hoped I didn't look completely idiotic in the suit Alice had thrown at me when I had come home to change before coming here. Fortunately for me, Jasper was in one almost the same. The dark grey slacks hung loosely on my legs and the dark grey jacket hung on my shoulders, unbuttoned revealing the dark blue button down dress shirt I had on underneath it. I walked in the front door and asked a lady who was working there how to get to the ballroom they were having the reunion in, thanking her as I walked in the direction she had pointed. I walked in the room and stopped on the top of the three stairs that led to where everyone else was standing around talking, dancing, and reminiscing as the vision of Alice hugging a woman of average height with brown hair that fell past her shoulders flooded my eyes. My hand then caught the ring that was on her hand as it glistened in the light.
"Nice ring," The woman froze and opened her smoky lidded eyes at me, Bella. Alice let go of her and looked at Jasper over her shoulder, the two of them disappearing quickly and I caught a full view of Bella's outfit. She was just as beautiful as I remembered her being. "I figured you would have thrown that away or sold it or something after what happened."
She shook her head, "No, I would never do that. I knew it was a family heirloom and besides that it's been in my bedroom at Charlie's house for ten years. If I remember right didn't you say your mom give it to you and tell you to give it to the girl you want to marry? That hasn't happened huh? Would you like it back to give to the girl you want to marry, because it seemed to me like that girl wasn't me anymore when you broke up with me. What was your reason for breaking up with me? Oh I remember, you didn't want me to have to feel a burden to knowing my boyfriend was over two hours away and that someone better was out there for me."
"Because it's true Bella, there is someone better than me out there for you."
"Oh really?" I nodded, "Like whom, Jacob Black? The fucking bastard who proposed to me then broke it off because I was pregnant with his kid? Is that what you had in mind of the someone better for me than you? If so I'm glad you broke up with me because that was hell to go through."
"I'm going to kill him." Anger roared through my body as I shook with rage.
"Why? You don't care. I mean, if you did, you wouldn't have left."
"Bella, I left for you."
"And you see where that left me. A twenty-eight year old single mom with a three month old daughter killing myself to keep from ending up so broke I'm stuck living here again. I work from three in the morning until three in the afternoon seven days a week and the rest of that time I spend paying bills and trying to see some part of my daughter's life. That sounds like a hell of a life if you ask me, Edward."
"Bella, I'm sorry I broke up with you. At the time I thought it was for the best and I thought maybe you would end up with someone wonderful not an asshole I tried to keep you away from for years. Do you know how hard it was for me to do that to you? To break up with you and leave?"
She laughed, "How hard it was for you? What about how hard it was for me? I missed my graduation, my graduation Edward! The one thing I had spent years looking forward to and I missed it. I can't hit some magical redo button and go back to graduation day. It's done and it's gone. Do you know what I did instead of going to graduation? I spent a seventh day locked in my bedroom crying my eyes out." I felt my heart feel like it had just been stabbed when she said that. I felt another stabbed when she looked back up and her brown eyes bore into my own, hers swarming with tears.
She pulled the ring I had given her off her finger and grabbed my hand and laid it in it, "I see you've found someone else though, someone who won't run out on you, someone who will care about you and believe you when you tell them fifty times that you didn't cheat on them. Congratulations, I wish you and whoever the hell she is the best, hopefully you don't turn out to be as big of an ass as Jacob. Excuse me."
She pushed past me and walked up the stairs before running from the building. I turned on my heels and ran after her. I stopped when I got outside the front door and looked around the parking lot, my gaze stopping on the shadowy outline of her body leaning against what I assumed to be her car. I ran up to her and she looked up when she saw me coming and put her hand up as she walked away, her makeup streaked down her cheeks from her tears.
"Please, just leave me alone. I want to be alone right now. I know you're the perfect gentleman and all, but please."
I put my hand out, "I want you to keep this."
"No, I don't want it. All it reminds me of is what the promise was behind it that has been broken and will never be and I don't want it."
"Bella, please take it, I can't give it to Tanya."
"Why? She's the one you're marrying not me, Esme told you to give it to the girl you want to marry and that's not me. So give it to Tanya." I stuck my hand back in my pocket and after a few minutes of no one speaking I turned to go back inside, "Edward," I stopped and turned around to look at her, "Promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me you won't ever leave her if you find out she's pregnant, please, just promise me that."
"I promise. I want you to promise me something too," She nodded and waited for me to continue, "If you don't want to go back in and enjoy the rest of your night as if you had never run in to me, you don't have to, but promise me you won't leave her until you've calmed down and aren't crying. You're daughter needs you."
"I promise." She turned her head to look back at the driveway and laid her hand against her arms. I stood there for a moment and looked at her again, only this time I actually looked at her again.
Her hair was the same length it had always been and she was a couple inches taller than I remembered her being. Part of that might have been due to the heels she was wearing but even without them she was taller than she had been. The strapless dress hugged her body perfectly and for someone who had had a baby just three months prior to tonight, you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at her. She was skinnier than she had once been but she was still a healthy skinny. If I hadn't know any better I would have thought Alice had dressed her, but seeing as how Alice had just gotten to Forks a couple hours before this started I knew she had been spending those hours getting herself ready. I yearned to reach out and take her in my arms but I knew that after everything that had just happened that if I did she wouldn't let me. I heard her take a few more steady breaths before standing up straight and moving her hands up to wipe off the running makeup before she looked over her shoulder at me, her face tinting pink when she saw me watching her. She took a few steps back towards my direction and stumbled as she took her last step and I reached out, one hand flew to her hip and the other caught her hand as she fell forward. Our bodies ending up pressed against each other and I felt the same sense of current passing between us that I had felt back when we dated in high school. We stood there for a minute or two before pink flared in her cheeks again and she turned around and opened her car door.
Bella's point of view
I shut the bathroom door behind me quietly and pulled the pregnancy test from my purse. A few minutes later I paced the room nervously as I waited for the result to appear on the small stick. Please be negative, please be negative. I wasn't ready to be a mom. I had only been done with school for three years and I wanted a few more years of fun before I was a mom. I didn't want to be a mom yet, not yet. I closed my eyes and tilted my head down, opening them and looking at the test, a little pink plus sign burning back at me. I pulled out my phone and made an appointment to make sure the test wasn't wrong and did random things around the apartment until two thirty rolled around and left the house making it to the doctor's office quickly. The time it took from when the doctor took the test and when he returned with the results seemed to drag out for hours. I fidgeted nervously in the chair, my head shooting up as the door squeaked open.
"Well Ms. Swan it looks like your test came back positive, congratulations."
It was then that my world seemed to freeze. I drove back to the apartment in a complete daze and sat in my car for an hour. I probably would have sat there longer if Mrs. Walker hadn't knocked on the window to ask if I was alright. I made my way up the stairs, putting off seeing Jacob for as long as I possibly could. He looked up at me from where he sat on the couch as he heard the door click.
"Hey Babe, where have you been?"
I swallowed and looked at him, "At the doctor."
"Why? Are you sick?" I shook my head, "Then what's wrong?"
"I'm, I'm pregnant." Silence filled the room after the words spilled from my mouth. The silence wasn't interrupted for a good five minutes when his angry voice filled the room.
"You slut." My head shot up to look at him.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. You're a slut. You've been cheating on me because I always use protection so there is no way it's mine."
"Cheating on you? I haven't slept with anyone else except you since we started dating. I would never cheat on you, I'm your fiancée! Besides that, condoms aren't one hundred percent effective. They break."
"That doesn't matter; I know it's not mine. You cheated on me."
"I didn't cheat on you, Jacob. How many times do you want me to tell you that?"
"I'm not going to be a dad. I'm not ready to be a dad and I'll never be able to. If I am it won't be for years."
"Well you better get ready, because you're going to be."
"No I won't be."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means, I want you to get an abortion."
"You asshole I will not kill this baby. This is your baby, out baby, and I'm having our baby. I did not cheat on you and I'm not a slut."
"Give me your ring."
"What?" I felt my throat constrict.
"Give me your ring."
"Why?"
"Because, this engagement is over. I'm not marrying someone who cheats on me and then lies to my face about it."
"I didn't cheat on you Jacob!"
"That's bullshit Bella, give me your ring, get your shit, and get the hell out of my apartment." I pulled the ring of my finger and chucked it across the room and watching as it hit him in the head, "Fuck Bella, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me? You're a dick, Jacob." I ran across the room and slammed the bedroom door shut, throwing my stuff in a suitcase and running from the apartment.
I shot up in bed and began sobbing into my knees. My crying causing Liyah to wake up beside me and start crying too.