Thank you so much for the amazing response to Chapter 19! I know more questions have come up, and I promise they'll all be answered in time! I won't bog you down though-without further delay...cue Esme!
Thank you to kas90, morethanmyself, devonmaid, and jadmama for helping with this chapter!
I don't own Twilight, I will never claim to own Twilight, and I swear I will never try to publish this story, after only changing the names of the Twilight cast it originated with ;)
As the light hit my eyes, I turned my head and pushed my face deeper into the pillow. I knew it was almost time for me to wake up and get moving, but after the night I had before I didn't want to. My muscles ached as I stretched, but I remained in bed. Thoughts of my argument with Bella swirled in my head. I knew the first thing I needed to do was find her and apologize. It was not fair to yell at her, and even though I hated to admit it, I understood her thoughts and fears.
My relationship with Bella had always been unorthodox. Even our time in college was strange because of how well we transferred from two college students to a family unit. However, I still constantly racked my brain daily for clues, outside of my families influence, that would have caused me to have so many preconceived notions about her. At the time, my mother's words all made perfect sense, but, now that it'd been nearly a decade, it had become glaringly obvious how wrong I was.
"When did you know?" Dr. Devon asked.
"When did I know what?" I clarified. We had only recently started talking about Bella and my relationship, so I wasn't sure exactly what he meant.
"When did you know Bella wasn't the gold-digger your mom accused her of being?" he clarified his question for me.
"Right around the time she broke up with me. Once she handed all the money back, and then left me, without a second thought of letting me explain anything," I answered. It didn't even take me a second to remember the memory. I knew, at that moment, I had been wrong. "That was a pretty telling sign."
"When was the first time you realized she wasn't who you thought she was?" he then asked.
"Isn't that the same question?" I asked, but he shook his head no.
"No, I want to know when you actually realized she wasn't anything like the idea you had in your head."
Once he clarified the question, I sat and thought for a second.
"When she was starving herself because of Nathan. When I found out that instead of coming and asking me for help, or hell, even for dinner," I huffed. "She was wasting away and getting by on $20 worth of food a month it seemed. I wanted to help...hell, I wanted to do anything I could to help, but she wouldn't let me."
"Why do you think that was? Why do you think Bella chose to starve than turn to you?" he pushed, and I started to become angry. I was angry at him for asking, angry at Bella for her pride, but angry at myself, because I knew it was my fault.
"Because I called her a gold-digger to her face," I sighed and slammed my head onto the table.
When I looked back, I thought I knew those things then, but I was too concerned with being perfect that I chose not to stand up for myself. I could remember thinking about how gorgeous Bella looked while she was pregnant, how funny she was when we had talked, how our conversations would flow seamlessly, yet, I ruined it all. Now, almost a decade later, I was ruining it all again.
I heard a knock at the door and silently prayed it was Bella. I rolled out of bed, threw on a t-shirt, and made my way to the door. Who I found was my sleepy eyed eight year old with a goofy grin on his face.
"Good morning, Nathan," I yawned.
"Get ready, today's boys-day-out, remember?" he asked. His body bounced, but his eyes looked barely open, and it made me laugh.
"I remembered, just let me get dressed, okay?" I asked, and he nodded. "Is your mom making breakfast?"
"Um, no, she said cereal this morning," he replied with a resigned look on his face. "Mom's upset and has been on the phone all morning."
"Oh," I said blankly and shut the door.
Bella was upset?
Was she upset about last night, too?
I knew we left on bad terms, but if Bella was upset enough to let Nathan see her, I needed to get to her.
In lightning speed, I had my teeth brushed, hair combed, and clothes on. I was spending the day with Nathan, my brother, and Jasper, at a bowling alley, so I went with a simple blue polo and jeans.
When I got out to the kitchen, I saw Nathan seated at the table with a bowl of Lucky Charms, while Bella remained at the far corner with the phone. Her face showed signs of distress, and her eyes had tears in them. When she noticed me enter the room, I barely got a glance as I moved to pour myself a bowl of cereal. I was biding my time for her to hang up so I could pull her aside and apologize.
I exaggerated the time it took to pour both the cereal and milk, hoping she'd hang up before I even sat down. Sadly, I made it through my bowl before she moved to get off the phone, and, despite my bests efforts, I didn't catch any of her conversation.
I heard the phone beep off, and I immediately stood up. Bella attempted to briskly walk past me, but I grabbed her arm.
"Hey, can we talk?" I asked quietly. Nathan was still in the room, and I didn't want him to know what had transpired the night before.
"Not now, Angela's been in a car accident, and..." she started, but I quickly cut her off.
"Oh my God," I gasped. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine, it was minor, but she was coming in from Port Angeles with the cake, that is now destroyed, and a bug has been going around the school, so Lauren is sick, and things are just falling apart," Bella rushed, but I continued to hold her arm.
"Is there anything I can do?" I asked genuinely.
"No, no, just take Nathan, have your day. Alice is on her way over, and we'll figure everything out, I just want this day to be perfect for Rosalie, she deserves a perfect baby shower, and I have to go." Bella wiggled her arm from my grasp and headed for the door my sister was currently standing behind.
"The perfect baby shower," I sighed when she was out of range for hearing.
"Awww, thank you," Bella smiled at Hannah as she held up a baseball outfit for everyone to see.
Bella's baby shower was thrown by our friends at school. Her roommate, Jessica, was the host, and even though I wasn't invited, I managed to arrive a little earlier than I was expected so that I could help get everything to Bella's new apartment.
Jessica used the common area of their old dorm and decorated with with ducks, blue streams and balloons. It was a simple affair with appetizer type food, a cake, and presents.
Alice had called me about a month before it was scheduled and asked if Bella would fly back to my hometown so my family could throw her one. She told me she felt bad for the way they reacted and wanted to show her their support. When I broached the topic with Bella, she immediately shot me down. After pushing a little more, and waiting about a week, I called Alice and told her it was not an option. She said she was hurt, but she understood. She then pushed for me to come alone, and I ended up laughing her off the phone. The mere idea of having a baby shower for me was, in my opinion, stupid.
I stood near the doorway as Bella opened up the last few gifts. All of the girls in the room gushed over the small clothes, socks, and toys they had all bought for baby Nathan. Bella's face was glowing as she said 'thank you' at least a million times and stared at each item for a few seconds longer than normal. It was easy to see that Bella was truly happy for all the support our friends was showing.
I heard a commotion in the hallway and stepped out to figure out what the fuss was about. Nothing could prepare me for the sight I saw as I watched my mother barrel down the hallway with a huge gift bag, balloons, and a box wrapped in baby paper.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as soon as I reached her.
"Well," she screeched. "If that girl isn't going to let us throw her a shower, I thought I'd bring it to her. I found out she's having one here, so I'm here to celebrate my grandson." Her eyes were dilated, her breathe reeked, and she was slurring...my mother was drunk.
"I don't think this is appropriate," I started, but she shoved past me. Before I reached back up to her, she was in the doorway. I came up behind her and saw Bella's astonished face.
"Happy baby shower," my mother slurred. "Since you're too good for us, you whore, I thought I'd bring you your presents, since that is all you wanted my son for."
I stood shell shocked as the insults rolled out of my mother's mouth. Jessica immediately jumped up and started screaming at my mom. A verbal cat fight unfolded before my eyes as insults flew from both side.
"That whore..."
"You bitch, how dare you show up here..."
"She trapped him..."
"You're insane, drunk, and insane!"
"Did she follow him? Did she knows his schedule? What he liked?"
Security showed up shortly after and my mother was escorted off the campus.
The majority of the girls began to dissipate as I took in the scene around me. In the midst of the screaming presents were haphazardly throw about, the mess of presents my mom brought spilled out on the middle of the floor, empty cups littered the room, while Bella's cake sat untouched on the table.
Jessica, and another red-head I didn't recognize, began cleaning up as Bella moved to help them. I took a step in, and followed suit, but Bella quickly moved to where I stood.
"I think you should leave," she said evenly.
"Bella, I didn't know..." I tried explaining, but she shook her head.
"Please, leave," she gritted out through her teeth.
I sighed and set down the articles of trash I had already picked up.
I turned to leave, but couldn't get out of the room before hearing my name called out by Jessica.
"Edward, be a doll, and take that trash with you," Jessica said sweetly as she pointed to the mess of presents my mom had left.
"You don't..." I started, but Bella didn't answer.
"I'm pretty sure Bella thinks those belong at your place," Jessica replied.
I nodded, collected the presents, and left.
"Edward," Alice practically yelled at me before I blinked my eyes at her.
"God, where did you go? Nathan is ready to leave, and I called Jasper, he's with Emmett now waiting on you two," she explained.
"Oh, um, just remembered less than happier times," I answered as I took a step around her.
"Nathan," I called out when I didn't see him at the door.
"I'm here," he called from behind me.
I walked up to Bella who was sitting on the couch looking at some list on a paper.
"We're leaving now, call if you need anything," I spoke aloud.
"Okay," she dismissed me without a second thought.
"We will talk later," I lowered my voice.
She sighed and nodded before I left with Nathan in toe.
"Daddy, are you a good bowler?" Nathan asked from the backseat.
"Probably not, it's been a while," I replied as I turned into the parking lot.
Jasper and Emmett were standing outside waiting for us as we pulled in.
"Uncle Emmett," Nathan cheered the second he got out of the car.
"Hey," Jasper whined, obviously not feeling the love from Nathan. Hell, Emmett got a better reaction than I got most days.
"Sorry, Uncle Jazzy." Nathan smiled sweetly.
"Did your aunt put you up to that?" he asked.
Nathan's smile turned to a smirk as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Come on, boy, it's time to bowl!" Emmett announced as he put his hand on Nathan's shoulder. They walked in while Jasper and I followed.
"Well, I'm happy to see you," I joked.
"Thanks, man." Jasper rolled his eyes at me.
After getting set up with our lane, shoes, and some snacks, we started our game. First, it was every man, or boy, for himself. Then, it was teams. Emmett, of course, grabbed Nathan and managed to beat Jasper and I, with no small margin. It was sad, really, but it gave Jasper and me a chance to talk.
"What's wrong?" Jasper asked as he came to sit down next to me. Nathan was currently taking on Emmett for the title of "Best Bowler in All of Forks," and I was out of the race.
I shook my head, but Jasper's face turned into an incredulous look. He wasn't buying it.
"Bella?" The way he said her name made my heart ache. I couldn't believe the show down we had been in the night before, and, what was worse, was she was too busy to talk to me this morning. Granted, I understood that she wasn't ignoring me on purpose, but I regretted leaving the house without her realizing how sorry I was.
"We, um, had an argument last night," I whispered.
"You don't say," he replied sarcastically. "What happened?"
"Well, we went to dinner at her dad's house. I guess her dad is trying to set her up with Jacob, and has for a while, and it all came to a head. Nathan yelled at Jacob at the table then took off. I went after him, and Bella took Jacob out back to talk to him. I calmed Nate down, and then I heard Bella screaming, so I went to check on her. Bella and Jacob were talking out back and then...fuck, dude, he just kissed her. Like, with Bella pushing him away, and he didn't, so I punched him. Then we left."
"You punched him?" Jasper gasped, stunned.
"Um, yeah, he tried to push himself on Bella, and I couldn't just stand there," I explained my excuse.
"Okay, go on," Jasper instructed.
"Well, we got Nathan settled at home and to bed, and we started to talk. Then, damn, I'm not even sure what went wrong. Bella started to talk about her feelings, and dude, she hates me." I fought the urge to slam my head onto the table.
"She actually said she hated you?" Jasper questioned.
"No, not exactly. She said she trusted me with everything but her heart. I knew I didn't stand a chance with her again, but I want to. I want to go back in time and fix all of this, and I just wish there was a way to prove to her that this is real...that I'm real," I explained.
"She likes you," Jasper said evenly. My eyes snapped to him with a confused look on my face. "What? Look, I'm not saying that I've heard anything, I'm just saying it's not outside the realm of possibilities, okay?" he asked. "Bella needs to see you stand up for her, so continue to be there and hope it grows."
"Hope it grows?" I asked incredulously. "Why didn't I think of that?" I rolled my eyes and hit my hand on the table.
"Look, I've been in Bella's shoes, though. Esme didn't hate me quite as much, but it's not an easy place to be. Until Alice stood up for herself, I didn't know if we'd last, but we did, and I'm thankful for that, but even I needed to see that." Hearing Jasper be so honest about the start of his and Alice's relationship was comforting. I had always seen them as a perfect couple, with no fault, and I'd never heard otherwise. Knowing they had seen some effects because of my mom gave me hope. It was small, but it was hope.
"Um, Edward," Jasper snapped my attention to him. He nodded his head towards the door, so I swung my head in that direction. Charlie stood at the entrance, a nervous look on his face, as he seemed to scan the room. It was a Saturday, so it was relatively busy, but the second Charlie's eyes met mine, they stopped moving. I nodded my head as a signal for him to come over.
"Papa Charlie," Nathan yelled as soon as he saw him. "I didn't know you were coming! I'm kicking Uncle Emmett's butt!"
Charlie laughed.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Charlie apologized to Nathan. "You keep bowling, I'm just going to talk to your dad, okay?"
"Ya, gonna watch, right?" Nathan asked with hopeful eyes. Charlie's mouth turned up, and he nodded.
"I'll just give you some space," Jasper announced before walking over to the concession stand.
"Why don't we sit," I suggested as I motioned back to the table Jasper had just vacated.
"Alright," he answered and took a seat.
I wasn't sure why Charlie was here, and I'd be lying if I said I wanted him here. I didn't want any drastic changes, like him being cut off, but my fury was still new.
"Look," he started after a minute. "I'm not going to apologize for suggesting that Jacob try to take Bella out."
Well, this is going well,'I though.
"However, I will apologize for last night. What happened wasn't suppose to, and if I had known more was going on, well, I wouldn't have had them over," he finished.
"So, you admit to inviting them?" I asked.
"Yeah, I just wanted Bella to know she had options," he admitted.
"Options?" I raised my eyebrow at him. His statement confused me, in more ways then one.
"Don't act dense, boy," he scolded. "I can see you and Bella..." I cut him off right there.
"Look, you're now the third person to accuse me of having anything more than a platonic relationship with Bella. I don't. We don't." I was frustrated beyond words. First Jacob, then Jasper, and now Charlie. If I didn't have feelings for Bella, I wouldn't care, but the fact was, their accusations were a painful reminder of what I could never have.
"You really expect me to believe that? Between your eye glances, and what she said on the phone, I don't believe you," he replied cryptically.
"I don't know what glances you mean, other than Bella's obvious discomfort around Jacob, and I have no clue what Bella told you. I can tell you I'd love nothing more for Bella to agree to even a date with me, but she made it perfectly clear last night, along with several other nights, she will never see a future with me," I finished my rant and huffed.
"Dad, you okay?" Nathan asked as I finally realized how close he was to me.
"Yeah, just tired," I brushed him off. "I didn't sleep well last night." I faked yawned for a dramatic effect.
"We can go home," he offered with a sad smile, but I shook my head no.
"Yeah, Edward, you should go home, but I'm keeping Nathan," Emmett announced.
"Huh?" I asked.
"You go home, the shower should be about over, anyway, and I'll bring Nathan back later. More bowling?" He asked and looked down at Nathan whose face had lit up.
"You're on!" Nathan yelled before running back to the lane.
"Em?" I questioned.
"The shower should be over within the next hour. You show up, offer to help get the presents into Rose's SUV, clean up, and show off the guests. We'll keep Nathan for a while, and you'll have time to sit down and talk to Bella without fear of Nathan overhearing, because, dude, that was close." Emmett's plan seemed ingenious, and he had a point about talking to Bella without the fear of distraction.
"He's right," Charlie interrupted. "You and Bella obviously need to talk, I'll stick around and challenge Nathan to a game. It'll keep him occupied for a while longer."
"What am I going to look like to Nathan, though? He's going to think I'm jumping out on him again," I pointed out.
"Nah, we won't keep him that long, besides, he'll be home tonight, and you and Bella obviously need to get on the same page," Emmett countered.
"Fine," I replied and stood up. I walked over to Nathan, told him I loved him, and that I'd see him in a bit. I explained that I was going to help clean up the house, so he knew I would be home. Me leaving didn't even seem to phase him, and I wasn't sure if that should make me happy or sad.
On the way out, I thought for sure I heard Emmett joking about how I'd have the car loaded by the time he got there, so he wouldn't have to. I rolled my eyes as I got into my car and drove off.
As I drove down the street, I noticed the amount of cars I had expected to be in front of Bella's house weren't there. Bella's car was inside the garage, and I noticed Rosalie's SUV parked on the curb, and an unknown black Mercedes in the driveway behind Bella's car. Alice's car was on the other side of the road.
I racked my brain for any reason why the street wasn't lined with cars still celebrating Rosalie and Emmett's new baby-to-be. The party was suppose to start an hour ago, and I remembered how long Bella's had lasted, so there was no way they were done by now. When Emmett suggested I leave the bowling alley, we had both figured they'd still be another hour or so.
I pulled up to the curb and parked behind Rosalie's silver Honda CR-V and quietly stalked up to the front door.
Before I hit the front path leading to Bella's doorway, I heard the inside garage door open and close. I paused for a second, and my heart plummeted when I saw Rosalie standing at the garage entrance.
Rosalie was always stunning, albeit not my type, but it was very obvious she put more into her appearance today. She wore a blue dress, with her hair curled, and make-up done nicely. Her shoulder strap held a button with ribbon curls exploding from the sides with bold text saying, "It's a Boy!". Today should be a happy day for her, but instead her eyes were puffy, her cheeks tear stained, and she was shaking.
After hesitating for a second too long, I immediately redirected my steps towards her.
"Rose, what's wrong?" I started to panic. "The baby?"
"No," she sniffled, tears still forming in her eyes. "Your mother," she whispered.
Before I could even think, I bolted past her and through the garage door. I had no idea why she was here, and frankly, I didn't care. It was time to handle her once and for all.
"Esme, calm down!" I heard Bella yell as I walked through the garage door.
I stayed quietly in the hallway hoping to catch a glimpse of exactly what I was walking into.
"Why won't you listen to me?" I heard the voice of my mother fill the room. They were all located in the living room still, while I was on the outside of the kitchen.
"Mom, I really think you should just leave," I heard Alice beg.
"No, I'm not leaving, not until you let me explain," my mother cried out. "Please, if I could just explain..."
"If I let you talk, then will you leave?" Bella's voice was laced with frustration.
Part of me wanted to jump out of hiding and handle her now, but the other part of me told me to sit and listen. I didn't know if she'd reveal 'her demons' if she knew I was present, and I needed to hear where she was coming from. I didn't think it would have affected my opinions, but I had still wanted to know.
"Yes," my mother agreed. "Now, sit down, both of you. Alice, you should hear this too.
"Growing up with my mother was a rather, um, difficult task. She had this, I don't know what you'd call it, way of thinking. Everything had to be done her way. You did what she said, you wore what she picked out, you talked to who she wanted you to talk to, she dated who she told you to date," she started.
I felt my stomach turn as I realized I could recite that as if it were my own story.
"In high school, I didn't have a lot of friends. I went to school with people who had money, and my dad had a deal go bad, and all of a sudden people stopped talking to me. That was my junior year. When I got to college, I finally felt freer...at least, freer than I was before.
"My freshman yea,r I met Derek. He was handsome, charming, and a perfect gentleman. He took me out on dates, never acted out of turn, but he didn't come from money. In other words, he had the wrong last name. I hid him from my family for fear of my mother's reaction. This went on for a few months, until I decided I wanted to take it to the next step.
"We used protection, but I got pregnant, anyways, and of course, I called my mom. She threw a fit, but insisted on meeting him. After she met him, she hated him. Turned out Derek was the son of one of the men my dad's business deal had hurt. They were so convinced he was after our money that my mom let me listen in on a conversation he was having with my dad."
I heard fake crying laced within her story, as I felt like such a fool for falling for the same tone many times before.
"My dad offered him a lump sum of money to disappear, and he took it. He didn't even hesitate, blink an eye, or anything, he took it and left. He didn't even glance at me on his way out. I was crushed, but that was when my dad had explained he confessed his plan. He wanted to conquer me and get me pregnant, knowing my parents would pay him to avoid a scandal." My mom's voice went silent, and I almost walked in, but I heard the garage door close quietly. I turned to see Rosalie watching me listen in. I could hear my mother sobbing, but instead of feeling sorry for her, I felt pity.
This was why she hated Bella? This is the Earth shattering story that serves as a point to ruin the life I could have had? This was it?
"What happened to the baby?" Alice's voice was small.
"Your grandmother made arrangements. I wanted to keep the baby full term and then give him or her up for adoption, but my mother explained it was best to take care of the problem. She didn't want the story to get out, and she swore if people knew they'd never speak to me again.
"So, Bella, I hope you understand now that, when Edward brought you home, I immediately had flashbacks of the past. I realize now that I was wrong, and I came here to ask for your forgiveness." My mom's voice sounded sickly sweet even to my ears. I couldn't tell if her story was real or not, but the tone she was using indicated she wasn't sincere.
Time clicked by slowly, and I reconsidered my standing spot several time. I was angry that I hadn't heard this story before and furious with myself for never asking. How could she be so cruel to Bella over this? I mean, I could understand being guarded, but after nine years...nine fucking years, she still thought of her the same way! How could I be so blind? Just as I was about to step out, Bella spoke up.
"Esme, although I appreciate your honesty, and I'm sorry for your past, I will never accept your apology," Bella stated evenly.
"What?" my mom sounded shocked, and her sniffling contrived.
"I understand that what you went through was life altering, and I'm sorry you were fooled, but that doesn't excuse the nine years of hate I've received. You stole any happiness Edward and I could have had together, and you deprived Nathan of any real family because of your prejudices.
"If that wasn't enough, you not only loved and accepted the woman who was responsible, but you even tried to help exonerate her. You will never see Nathan again, and after you leave my house today, you will never be welcomed in it again," Bella's voice was confident, and I knew there would be no standing against her. I admired how calm she was remaining, and I wished I had even an ounce of her tact.
"You have to be reasonable, he's my grandson!" my mother yelled.
"I don't care, you will never have my permission to see him again," Bella stated.
"I don't need your permission! I'll go to Edward, surely he'll see reason," she scoffed.
"Nathan is in my custody, and no, he can not override me," Bella corrected.
"Ha! Edward can and will take custody from you, as soon as I see him, we'll start the paperwork together." The tone of my mother's voice shocked me, and I felt Rose nudge me.
The sound of someone being slapped across their face stunned me for a second as I walked into the living room with a horrified look on my face.
Both women saw me enter, but with two different reactions. My mom looked victorious, while Bella looked defeated. She dropped the hand she'd just used to smack my mom with and hung her head, while her shoulders slumped over.
"Edward, darling," my mom immediately moved to hug me, but I side stepped her and walked closer to Bella.
"What are you doing here?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"Celebrating my newest grandson, of course," she replied as if I was an idiot.
"I don't see anyone here," I observed. The room was devoid of any party, and it was eerily similar to what I saw after my mom crashed Bella's baby shower.
"No, well, there was a little trouble when I first got here, and people left, but it's time for Rosalie to come out and open her gifts. I got the baby the cutest little," my mom started to ramble as I turned around and walked immediately over to Bella.
"You're not staying, Esme," I heard Rosalie call out from the kitchen. She moved away from the wall with a fierce look on her face, a stark opposite to how she looked when I had first gotten here.
"Well, of course I am. You have gifts, and..." my mother trailed on, but Rosalie was not going to back down. "Edward, can't you explain to them..."
"Why are you here?" I asked after placing a single hand on Bella's shoulder. I wanted her to know that I was here for her...standing with her.
"Well, for the shower and to see you," she answered.
"Why did you come see me? Why not Alice or Emmett?" I pushed.
"Oh baby, as much as I miss your brother and sister, you've always been my favorite," she replied with a smile.
"Fuck you," Alice hollered from behind me before storming out the front door.
"I know that, but why now? You ruined Bella's baby shower and now you've ruined Rosalie's," I pointed out. "You could have chosen any other time, why now?"
"Look, I have something to tell you, and I think..." she tried to explain, but I wouldn't let her.
"I heard," I replied.
"You did?" she gasped. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough," I answered. I noticed Bella's face turned towards me, and I gave her a small smile. Her face stayed blank, but I had hoped I was conveying the message that I wasn't angry with her.
"Then you know what that bitch did." The rate at which my mother's tone of voice changed caught me off guard, but didn't altogether surprise me.
"First, you will not call Bella a bitch. Bella is amazing, sincere, caring, giving, and every other amazing word I could use to describe her, but bitch is not one of them. Now, you, Mom are a bitch, and frankly, you deserved the slap, so I see nothing wrong with it," I spoke confidently. I felt Bella's body stiffen, but I continued to rest my hand on her shoulder. She had to know, regardless of what tomorrow brought, that I was here for her...with her...against anyone who opposed her.
"Edward, how could you fall for such a whore? Here I am, spilling my soul, and she won't even listen to reason," my mom pleaded with me to see her side. "What happened? I come back, and, let me guess, you're fucking the whore? That's just grand, I raised you better..."
"You raised me better? REALLY? You raised me to listen to ever word you said without question, you raised me to follow you and not my instincts, you raised me to be a follower, not a leader, you raised me to be nothing, and I am done being nothing! Your reasons are not good enough! And stop with the name calling! Bella is not a whore, she is not a bitch, she is not a gold-digger! Bella is an amazing woman who I lost my chance with because of you...you, because I fucking listened to you!" I roared as I dropped my hand from Bella's shoulder and took a step towards my mom.
"How could you lie to me? How could you make me believe that Bella was this horrible monster? Did you not want me happy?" I stalked closer to my mom who immediately took a step back. "I listened to you! I trusted you, for what? For this! You know Tanya is who tried to have Nathan killed, not Bella, Tanya! The woman you loved so very much, got a man to try to murder my son, and for what...money! I haven't put it all together yet, but you know what Nathan overheard, her talking about my will! She was talking about my will to the guy who did it, and you thought Bella was the gold digger!
"You stormed in here, you've ruined Rosalie's celebration, all to just have your story heard...well, I heard you! Loud and fucking clear. I heard a bitter old woman who still is a control freak, just like your own mother! You will never see Nathan again, and that is not up for negotiations, and as of today, you are dead to me! Now leave!" I barked as I pointed to the door.
"Edward, listen to me," she started, but I'd had enough.
"NO!" I yelled. "I am not listening to another fucking word out of your mouth! I have a house to clean, a son to pick up, and more important people to talk to. I'm done with you, Mom, as of today, you're no longer my mother. I want you gone, NOW!"
I walked to her, took her hand, and drug her to the door. I wasn't overly forceful, and I didn't hurt her, but I knew she wouldn't leave any other way. After shutting the door, I realized her purse was still on the couch so I grabbed it, and stormed back to the door.
"Oh, Edward, I knew..." she started hopefully when I opened the door just to throw her purse thrown at her and slam the door again.
I searched the room for Rosalie, but she was nowhere to be found. All that was left was Bella, who appeared rooted in place in the middle of the living room.
My body moved on it's own accord to be near her, but she just continued to stare into space.
"Bella?" I called out softly.
This was day two that she had seen me get angry, and I didn't want her to fear me.
Her head slowly rotated so she looked straight at me. Her face remained unreadable for about a minute, before she burst into tears.
"Bella?" I croaked. I didn't know what to do, or say...or anything.
Tears continued to pour down Bella's face as she fled to her bedroom, slamming the door as she went through.
I shook my head for a second and pulled out my cellphone. Nathan couldn't see this.
-Mom crashed the party, come to Bella's house now, leave Nathan with Charlie, he can't see this!-
I quickly texted Emmett's phone and hoped he would show up quickly. I knew Alice and Rosalie were still here somewhere, and I knew they'd need their husbands, and although I could try and comfort them temporarily, I needed to get to Bella.
I cautiously walked to her bedroom door and knocked. I could hear gentle sobs, but she didn't answer. Bella's room had remained the only place in the house I'd never gone. She never said it was off limits, but I never had a reason to enter.
I had silently debated in my head if I should have given her space or go in, and after a few minutes, I decided it was now or never...I was going in.
Bella's back was facing me as I creeped the door open. I saw her shoulder's continue to shake and sobs continue to echo off her walls. My heart broke at the sight, but inside I was lost. I had thought I had done what I was suppose to. I wanted to stand up to my mom, not just for me, but for Bella, too. It was nine years overdue, and of all the reactions Bella could have had, breaking down was not one of them.
I walked into the room, but she didn't even acknowledge my presence. When I finally came to stand in front of her, I sat down on the edge of the bed. Her eyes shifted up for a moment before snapping back down.
"Bella?" I spoke her name again.
"Why now?" she whispered. Her voice was soft, and she sounded so distraught.
"I don't understand," I explained.
"Nine years, Edward, nine years, why now?" Her eyes shifted back towards mine, and she looked so lost and fragile.
"Because I'm not blind anymore." It was a simple explanation, but I knew Bella understood what I meant when she nodded her head. Her hand slowly came out from her chest, and I immediately took it. If her hand was all she could give, I would take it, and be grateful. "I'm here, now."
"I don't know what I have left to give," she spoke softly.
"I don't want anymore than you can give," I replied honestly. The only thing I wanted was for her to be happy, and if I could make her happy, I wanted that chance. "Sleep now, Bella. I'll clean the house up, make sure everyone is okay, and handle Nathan."
"Nathan," Bella immediately shot up with a worried look.
"He's with your dad, relax, I texted Emmett, calm down," I put my hand on her shoulder as she relaxed back down to her pillow. "Sleep," I whispered before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. I couldn't imagine, or pretend to understand, the emotions going through her mind. What I did know was tomorrow I would broach the topic of therapy...but not now, she needed to rest.
The last thing I saw, before I closed her door, was her sleeping form and our latest family picture framed on her nightstand.
"Hey, man," Emmett said as soon as I got to the living room. "Is Bella okay?"
"Yeah, she's sleeping now. How is Rosalie?" I asked genuinely concerned for her and their son. I knew what stress could do to a pregnancy, and Rosalie was already high-risk.
"She'll be okay, she's in the garage with Alice. Listen, I wanted to leave Nate with Charlie, but he got an emergency call into work, so he's with Jasper at their house. I told him you needed extra help with the presents, and Jasper was going to order pizza and a movie, and that you'd get him later," Emmett rambled on. I could tell he was nervous, but I appreciated the effort he put into his story.
"No, that's fine, thank you." I put my hand on my face and rubbed my eyes. I couldn't believe how this day had turned out.
Thankfully, with the help of Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and myself, we had the house back to normal in only an hour. Rosalie was ordered to sit on the couch while we worked around her. The new cake that Bella had specially made that morning laid untouched along with the presents. When I asked the women for details, they just said everyone seemed to scatter when Esme showed up, so Rosalie would just have to write some amazing thank you notes. I peeked in on Bella a few times before everyone left.
I had received a call from Nathan just before five asking if it was okay for him to stay the night with Jasper and Alice. To be honest, I wanted to scream no into the phone, but he said Jasper opened up his game collection and he just wanted to hang out. I offered to go over there to pick him up later, but this time he told me not to worry. I finally relented, and Alice promised before leaving that she'd have him back in the morning. I made sure she knew I was a phone call away at any time.
After everyone left, I fixed myself a sandwich before checking on Bella again. Her body had shifted since the last time I'd check on her, and I noticed her eyes blinking awake.
"Bella?" I called out and her eyes snapped to me. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, before asking what happened. I then explained the clean up and where Nathan was, but she only kept nodding.
"So, this all really happened?" she finally asked.
"Yeah, it did," I answered.
"We should talk," she started just as the phone began to ring. I glanced over and saw it was Charlie. "Just let the machine get it, I don't want to deal with him right now," she brushed off.
"He showed up earlier, at the bowling alley, it was civil," I explained right as the standard answering machine recording went off.
"Not now, we have other things..." Bella was cut off by Charlie's voice.
"Bella, it's your dad. Listen, I know you're mad at me, but Edward isn't answering his phone, and I need him to call me. I just got word on Tanya and..." beep.
Even though I flew at the phone, I was a second too late as I scrambled to hear my message. Bella stayed frozen on the bed that I'd flown off of.
So, next update after Friday before the next Friday! Same as normal! I know it seems like 2 weeks away, but have I ever made you wait that long?
Review replies will work a little bit differently this week! There will be a Chapter 21 Teaser, a teaser to the outtake I wrote for the Fandom Against Domestic Violence (E&B at the cafe three days after their one-night stand), AND a special BPOV from her breaking down until Edward goes to her! So 3 total sections this week...I figured for such a huge chapter, you deserves a huge review reply!
I also decided to make a facebook page just for the fandom! It's SammieLynnsMom Fanfiction http:/www(dot)facebook(dot)com/?ref=home#!/profile(dot)php?id=100002011260119&sk=wall
Blind Intentions is up for A Shimmer Award for Best Tear Jerker! Thank you to whoever thought to nom me! http:/shimmerawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com/p/nominees(dot)html
My contest is now up and running, feel free to check it out! http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~pickyourownadventurecontest
My Weekly Rec: Unexpected Circumstances by Savage7289 This is Savage's new historical fic that I am currently digging! It's 9 chapters in and I'm still reading, so check it out! I'm a sucker for the historical! http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6496709/1/Unexpected_Circumstances