Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. The author of this story is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chapter 11

This girl is always confusing me. What is she doing to me? Why do I care so much about how she feels? I can't deny it though; I do care.

I haven't touched her sexually since our talk in the library, and it's been three days. Three long days. It's not just the pleasure I receive from her that I miss. I miss my hands being on her … touching her soft, porcelain skin with sweet caresses and holding her close to me at night.

I know I could have easily done anything I wanted with her, but I just couldn't. After that talk, I was starting to feel guilty, and I don't like it one bit. I'm not use to feeling guilt.

I feel like I don't even know how to talk to her. Which leads us to my current predicament … knocking on Jasper's door doing something I thought I'd never do … asking for help.

"Edward?" Alice asks as she opens the door. "I didn't know you were coming by today."

"I just want to talk to Jasper for a few minutes. Is he available?" I want to get down to business on what I want to know. I don't have time for pleasantries.

"He's not here, but why don't you come in. He should be home soon." Alice says as she widens the door for me.

"Would you like something to drink?" She asks as she shows me to their living room.

"No, thank you."

"How is Isabella?" She inquires as she sits down across from me.

"You mean Bella?" I look pointedly at her.

"Yes, Bella." I don't even seem to faze her. "How is she doing?"

"She's doing just fine."

"Come now, Edward. We both know that's not true. I of all people would know that she is not doing fine."

"Look, she's adjusting. She has a hard time, but she's getting there."

"Edward, please let me help. Let me and Jasper help." She pleads.

"We don't need any help." I reply stonily.

"Then why are you here?"

"I just wanted to talk to Jasper."

"About?" She prods.

"About …" I sigh. "About Bella." I resign myself now. I guess there's no harm in speaking with Alice.

"Are you hurting her?" Her eyes turn in to narrow slits as she awaits my answer.

"No. God, no. Why do you assume that?" Naturally, she assumes the worst.

"Because it's you Edward. You don't realize how you hurt someone … whether it's with your hand or your words. Bella is at your mercy. How do you think that makes her feel?"

"Come off it Alice. If I hadn't taken her then someone much worse would have taken her. Aro himself is interested in her."

"Oh, God. Edward, he's an awful, awful man." She shudders as if a cold wind has tickled her spine.

"I know. So as you can clearly see, she's better off with me." And she is.

"She's better off with you if you treat her right." Alice says with her eyebrow raised.

"I'm treating her just fine." I retort.

"No, I don't think so." The smartass replies. "She needs help, Edward. More help than you are willing to give her."

"Is Jasper coming home soon or not?" I asked getting pretty aggravated.

"Are you afraid to talk to me?"

"Why would I be afraid?" Preposterous.

"Because I know how Bella feels, and I can tell you what you're doing wrong. I don't think you want to know. I think you think that Jasper will give you some instant fix. There is no instant fix for this. Bella is in a lot of pain, and I'm the only one in this family other than your mother that can identify with that."

"What do you mean my mother?" What does she know of my mother?

"Oh, come on, Edward. I know you're not that naive. You know your father does not treat Elizabeth right. He may not have obtained her the way that you did Bella, but he treats her very cruelly. Do you really want to follow in his footsteps?" She asks pointedly.

Did I? I know I'm supposed to take over the business one day, but does that mean I have to act just like my father? His attitude does keep us together as a family to be reckoned with. However, Alice is right. He does treat my mother rather cruelly. He shows no affection towards her. I have seen the dark circles under her eyes and the occasional bruises she sometimes sports. I guess I just didn't want to believe that he would hurt my mother.

Alice could tell I was thinking things through. That was obvious by her next statements.

"Your mother has shown nothing but affection to you and Emmett and Jasper. Emmett seems to be the only one to never take to his father's ways. Thank God, Jasper learned the error of his ways." Just who do you think she's leaving out of this little circle of goodness?

I admit that Jasper has changed immensely.

"It wasn't only me that helped him see the light. Your mother and Emmett did as well. Your mother does not deserve the treatment your father gives her. No one does, not even Bella. Do you know how hard it is to feel unloved, and treated like an object and not a person? Your mother does. At least she did until she had her children. At least her children have returned her love. Edward, if you keep treating Bella like you are now then she is only going to become more and more like a zombie. Soon it will be too late to turn things around and she will lose the vibrant, loving person she once was. Do you really want that to happen?" Alice actually has a few tears in her eyes.

"No, I don't, it's just … damn … this is so hard." And so fucking frustrating.

"I know. You wouldn't want to be treated the way you treat Bella and I know you don't want your mother to be treated that way. Have you even introduced her to Elizabeth?" She asks a question she already seems to know the answer to.

"No."

"You know why that is, don't you?"

"Yes, I guess so." I hate admitting this to her.

"Right, you don't want to see the look on her face when she realizes how you got Bella and how you treat her." Her voice has risen slightly.

It's true. As much as I seek my father's approval, I also seek my mother's.

"Look Edward, if you promise not to hurt her anymore and that includes any sexual acts, then I promise you we won't try to take her away from you."

Oh, hell no!

"She's mine. I won't let you take her away from me. How dare you even suggest that!" I am livid now. They will not take her away from me. I can't believe they've been planning this.

"We wouldn't try to take her away from you completely. We know she has nowhere to go. But, she needs help and so do you. We just want to stop her from hurting. Believe me Edward, I know how she feels. I don't want her to turn into a shadow of her former self. That's not fair to her." She's getting a little louder now as she tries to get her point across.

What about me? What's fair to me? Hell, I don't even know anymore.

"I don't ever want to hear any more talk about Bella being taken from me. You all know perfectly well what I'm capable of. I concede that I may need help as far as Bella is concerned, but I will not stand for my own family betraying me. You know very well that my father would be on my side in an instant if anything were to happen." She has to know that I mean business. I don't want to threaten them, but I will carry out on any threat if they try to betray me.

"Yes, I am quite certain of that. I just wish above anything else that you will see Bella as a person and not an object. Edward, it will only get worse and never better if you keep this up. Please, I beg you, for Bella's sake, help her and help yourself. Deep down, I know you are a good person like Emmett and Jasper. Let that side of you come out." Alice is pleading with me now.

"I can't afford to become soft Alice. My job demands that I stay focused." I can see Alice's point, but I have to maintain a certain persona for the family.

"You don't have to become soft in your job, but you can become softer with Bella. Have you ever thought that your job is part of the problem?" She asks.

"I don't have a problem with my job." I am good at my job and no one can deny that.

"I think you do. I think it has hardened you, and made you into a person that you don't recognize anymore." She replies with what sounds like a bit of disgust in her voice.

Did she forget who she's talking to?

"Is that why you want Jasper out of the family business? To make him all soft?" I raise my voice at her.

"No. Jasper wants out on his own accord. I don't make him do anything just like he doesn't make me do anything. We support each other. Jasper didn't like the man he was becoming by following in your father's footsteps. I don't think you really like the man you are becoming either."

What kind of man am I becoming? I don't think I know the answer to that myself.

I can't take anymore of this. I have to get out of here.

"I've got to go. Tell Jasper I was looking for him, would you?"

"Sure." She hesitates for a second and then speaks. "But Edward, please think about what I said. Please just try for one second to put yourself in Bella's shoes.

I get up and walk towards the door. "I'll think about it."

When I enter the bedroom I find Bella curled up on the sofa with a book in her hand, but she's asleep.

As I look at her sleeping form, I try to imagine all the horrors she went through before she came to me. I don't know everything that happened with her, and I probably never will. Hell, I doubt I even want to know.

Maybe I have moved a little too fast with her. However, she is here for me, but maybe, just maybe, I could be here a little for her too. I've just never had to worry about someone else's feelings before. I know I'm a selfish bastard, but that's the way I've always lived my life. I admit I always need to get my way. I can't change overnight, and I really don't plan to change that much. One little talk with Alice isn't going to make me give Bella up or start treating her in a drastically different way.

I take the book out of her hand and lay it on the table, and I cover her with a blanket.

I've got a lot to think about.

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Yeah … not a lot of action this chapter, but some necessary conversation. Remember Edward is pig-headed, arrogant, and selfish. It's going to take awhile for anything to penetrate into that brain of his. Let me know what you think, Yay or Nay? (Hopefully Yay, but I always love to hear what you say regardless.)