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Chapter 20: Truth and Consequences

"James? What are you doing here?" she asked. Next to her, Rosalie stirred and bristled immediately when she realized who had awoken her. She stayed silent, however, as she shot daggers at James from her place next to Bella.

"Ben called me," he said simply, as if the answer should have been obvious.

And really, it should have been. Bella and James had all the same friends from college, some of whom were from Forks. In a town the size of Forks, it didn't take long for news to spread. Especially when the news had to do with the town's chief of police.

"Besides," James said, shrugging, "Charlie and I have always gotten along. I knew he'd want me here with him, even if you and I aren't together right now."

Bella couldn't help but shudder slightly at the phrase he ended with. Right now. She decided that it wasn't the time to tell him that she would have rather died a horrible, painful death than be with him. Instead, she nodded and told him that Charlie would be touched that he came.

Touched turned out to be an understatement. When the doctor finally allowed them to see Charlie, his face lit up like a Christmas tree as James walked in behind Rosalie and Bella.

"James! Is that you?" Charlie whispered, wincing in pain as he turned to look at the trio entering his room.

"Hey Charlie, what the hell are you doing in here? Let's go home, man," James said, waltzing up to Charlie's bed as if he were family.

"That's what I keep telling them, but they don't listen to me," Charlie grumbled.

"How are you doing really, Charlie?" James asked, his tone softer.

"I'm okay. It hurts, but I'm okay."

Bella's heart ached when she saw her father's pale form lying on the bed under the bright, warming lights. He was pale and covered with several blankets. He was hooked up to even more machines than he had been earlier.

"Dad, you need to rest. Don't try to talk," Bella said, cutting off any further conversation between the two men.

After that, James took the hint and backed off, choosing to sit in a chair in the corner as Bella and Rosalie hovered around their father, trying to ensure that he had everything he needed.

Soon, Charlie drifted off to sleep, still under the influence of the anesthesia. Exhausted, Bella settled in on the small sofa in the back of the room.

James came to sit beside her. "Bella, you're exhausted," he whispered, glancing at Charlie to make sure his words had not woken him.

"I'm fine," she said, unwilling to speak to James any more than necessary. She was glad that he was concerned about her father, but his presence did nothing but complicate things for her.

"Have you eaten? Let me buy you lunch."

"I'm not hungry," Bella insisted. But her stomach rumbled and gave her away.

James raised one eyebrow at her. "Come on, Bella. We need to talk anyway."

The last thing she wanted to do was talk to James, but she was too tired to argue. So instead, she sighed, picked up her purse, and followed James down to the cafeteria. Bella picked out a sandwich and a bottle of water. When she reached for her wallet, James insisted on paying. Bella raised her eyebrows but thanked him as they found a table.

Bella's head seemed to be in a fog as she sat, picking at her sandwich. James didn't seem to notice.

"So, what have you been up to?"

She shrugged. "Working mostly."

"How is work going?"

Bella set her bottle of water down and sighed before looking at James. "Look, James. It's really nice of you to come and see my father. I know he really appreciates it. But I have to ask you: why are you here?"

James looked puzzled for a moment before smiling at her. "I don't know what you're talking about. I came because I'm concerned about Charlie."

"Bullshit," Bella said simply, leveling a steady gaze at him.

His eyes flashed, and he took a deep breath. Bella knew him well enough to know what he was thinking. She had never spoken to him that way before, and it was obvious he wasn't pleased by it. He glared back at her, obviously attempting to intimidate her, but it didn't work. She gazed right back at him, never even blinking as she raised one eyebrow. Edward was right. She was a different person than she had been a few months ago. Her freedom, combined with Edward's love and support, made her a stronger person and gave her the confidence she needed to stand up to James.

After a moment, James looked down at the table and sighed. "Look, Bella. I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm going to let it slide because I know how worried you are about Charlie."

She recognized the slight edge in his voice and it made her smile. There was a time when that tone would have sent her scurrying about trying to appease him. But now, it just made her smile and shake her head.

"My concern for my father has nothing to do with you, James," she said evenly. "I just want to know what you think you're doing coming here uninvited." James stared at her for a moment, but said nothing, so she continued. "I mean, we haven't seen each other for three months, and you think it's alright for you just to show up out of the blue? The last time I saw you, you were yelling and screaming at me like a mad man. Did you honestly think that I'd want you to come here?"

James narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine, Bella. You don't have to believe me. But the truth is I'm here for your father. Not for you, not for anyone else. Now, I did think that maybe you would appreciate someone by your side during this time, but apparently I was wrong. You'd rather be alone." His voice was sharp, and his words were clipped.

It was Bella's turn to bristle at his words and his implication. "I'm not alone," she said before thinking.

James raised one eyebrow, his expression turning amused. "Oh really? Are you telling me you're with someone, then?"

Bella immediately regretted her words. She wasn't ashamed of her relationship with Edward by any means, but she didn't want to explain herself to James. "Just forget it, okay," she had mumbled, fidgeting with her water bottle.

James smiled triumphantly. "That's what I thought."

Bella rolled her eyes and sighed. "You know what? You really haven't changed. Not that I expected you would."

He laughed lightly, leaning back in his chair. "Well, I wish I could say the same thing about you. But you've changed quite a bit." He gazed at her appraisingly for a moment before she shook her head in disgust and stood up from the table.

"I've got to go check on my father. Feel free to stay out here as long as you need to." Without a backwards glance, she turned on her heel and walked out of the cafeteria.

But she didn't go back to her father's room immediately. Instead, she turned and walked to the hospital's designated smoking area. Her conversation with James had left her feeling anxious and on edge. She desperately needed a cigarette. She fished one out of her purse, grateful that she no longer had to find creative hiding places for them. She smoked it and felt immediately better. She was just considering lighting up a second time, when her phone rang. She smiled as she glanced at the caller ID.

"Hi, baby," she said, closing her eyes so she could better picture his face.

"Well, you sound much better than the last time I spoke with you. How's everything going?" His voice was warm and smooth and sent chills up and down her spine.

"Talking to you always makes me feel better."

He chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I have that affect on you, love. How's your father?"

Bella gave him a detailed explanation of her father's condition, knowing that, as a doctor, he would appreciate and understand it.

"Well, it sounds like everything is going well. The doctors there obviously know what they're doing. How's everyone else holding up?" he asked when she had finished.

She was touched by his concern for people he'd never even met. Thinking about how everyone else was doing reminded her of James, and she sighed. She needed to tell him about James. Yet as she sat there, describing her mother's erratic behavior, and how strong Rosalie had been throughout the entire ordeal, she couldn't bring herself to tell him about James. She knew deep down that she had done nothing wrong, that it wasn't her fault that James had shown up uninvited, but she couldn't help the irrational fear that flooded her.

So she said nothing. She told him she loved him, and he assured her that he was making plans to come to Port Angeles. Then he was gone, and she sat there slightly stunned, knowing she had made a big mistake in not telling him the truth.

Bella sighed, ran a hand over her tired face, and stood to go back inside. She made a promise to herself that the next time she spoke with Edward, she would tell him all about James.

When she entered her father's room, Rose lifted her head from the chair where she had been dozing on and off. She looked at Bella questioningly, but Bella just shook her head at her sister as she moved to her father's bed. He was still sleeping, having been once again sedated by the nurses. Rose stood and came to stand by her sister's side. She rested her head on Bella's shoulder while looping her arms around Bella's waist. Bella leaned into her sister, and the two stood gazing down at their sick father for a while.

"Well," Rose finally sighed, releasing Bella to stand up straight. "We might as well go get some sleep."

Bella nodded in agreement, and the sisters gathered their things. Exhausted, Bella couldn't wait to climb into bed at her mother's hotel room. The two girls were on their way to the waiting room to call their mother to pick them up when James strolled around the corner. Bella groaned inwardly.

"Where are you two going?"

"Back to Phil's hotel," Rosalie answered, her voice hard as she eyed James warily. She had obviously not forgotten James' most recent encounters with Emmett.

"Let me give you a ride," James said.

Both girls tried to protest, but James insisted. When it came right down to it, both of them were too tired to put up much of a fight, so after a few feeble protests on their part, the two sisters soon shuffled after James to his waiting rental car.

At the hotel, James insisted on walking them to their rooms to ensure their safe arrival. Bella thanked him, but did not invite him in. She was grateful for the ride, but really just wanted to climb into bed.

Inside, she and Rose changed into their pajamas, and both climbed into bed. There was a pull out couch available in the living room, but neither had the energy to pull it out. Besides, they had spent many years as children sharing a bed. This was nothing new.

Bella's last thoughts before she faded into unconsciousness were of Edward. She wondered what he was doing. She wondered if he missed her half as much as she missed him. And last of all, she wondered why she hadn't thought to call him again before she crawled into bed.

It seemed like only minutes later that Bella was being shaken awake. For the second time that day, she opened her eyes to find James standing over her. This time, however, she was immediately awake.

"What the hell are you doing here? Who let you in?" she hissed, sitting up abruptly. She looked down at Rosalie's still-sleeping figure.

"Your mom let me in. She and Phil were on their on their way back to the hospital, and I told her I needed to talk to you." James' face was hard, and for some reason, Bella felt a pit of fear in her stomach as she followed James out of the room and into the empty living room. She was about to protest when James held out her cell phone. "You left this in my car."

Still puzzled, Bella reached for the phone. "Thank you, I—"

He interrupted. "It rang, and I thought it might be you looking for your phone, so I answered it."

Apparently groggier than she had first realized, Bella struggled to keep up with the conversation. "It wasn't me who called. I didn't even realize it was missing."

"I know that, Bella." His voice was exasperated. "It was Edward."

"Oh," Bella said, unsure of what else to say.

"So, you're with him now?" James asked.

Bella sighed. She didn't want to go down this path with him. She didn't want to tell him about Edward, it was none of his business. But if James was going to insist, then she had a few things of her own to bring up.

"Listen, I really don't think that you have any reason to be upset with me. First of all, you and I aren't together anymore, and second of all, you are the one who lied to me in the first place and told me that Edward had married Tanya," Bella said, her voice rising as she spoke.

James shook his head. "Bella, that's not it."

But Bella cut across him. "I can't believe you answered my phone. What did you say to him? I swear, if you made it look like your presence here is anything more than an unwelcome intrusion—"

"Bella!" James shouted.

Bella stopped speaking and glared at James for a moment. "What?"

"There's something you should know." He waited to make sure she wasn't going to interrupt him again. Bella rolled her eyes but motioned for him to continue. "Tanya's pregnant."

Bella furrowed her eyebrows. "So?"

James sighed and looked at her as if she was a small child. "So, the baby is Edward's."

Bella stood, staring at James for a moment. Finally, she spoke. "No. There's no way," she said simply, shaking her head.

James raised his eyebrows at her. "You think so, huh? What makes you so sure? If he'll cheat on her with you, why wouldn't he cheat on you, sweetheart?" His tone was mocking, causing Bella to clench her fists.

"First of all, he didn't cheat on Tanya with me. We were never together until very recently. Second of all, there's just no way that the baby is Edward's."

James sighed and then shrugged. "Okay, Bella. I'm just letting you know what Tanya told me."

Bella glared at him for another moment before turning on her heel and stalking to the bathroom where she quickly shut the door behind her. Once inside, she slid down the wall until she was sitting on the cool tile floor. She listened to the sounds of James letting himself out, and then she looked at the phone James had returned to her. Her hands shook slightly as she dialed his number. She knew it couldn't be true, but she needed to hear it for herself.

"Bella," Edward's voice was a mixture of concern and relief when he answered. "What the hell is going on there? Why did James answer your phone? Why didn't you tell me he was there?"

Bella closed her eyes. "Not now, Edward. I need to know something. James says that Tanya is pregnant. Is that true?"

Edward was silent for a moment. "Yes."

Bella felt the pit of fear in her stomach grow larger. "Is it yours?"

There was another moment of silence, and then a sigh. "Yes."

Bella tried to stifle the sob that bubbled up her throat. "Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered.

"Oh, Bella. I wanted to tell you, I really did, but I found out on the night you found out about your dad, and I didn't want to add to that."

Bella took a deep breath and leaned her head against the door. "What do you mean you just found out? Why would Tanya wait so long to tell you? She's got to be, what? Four months along at least?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Edward? Are you there?"

Edward sighed. "Yeah, I'm here. I didn't want to tell you any of this over the phone."

"What is it? Please just tell me," Bella whispered, her voice rough with tears.

"Tanya is only two months along."

Bella's head swam for a moment. She thought she must have heard him wrong. "What?" she asked.

"Tanya is only two months along," he repeated. "That's why she just told me."

"But two months ago...Well, I mean, we weren't together...but..." Bella faded off as she tried to wrap her head around what this latest piece of information meant.

"Apparently we met up at a bar. I was drunk. I don't remember any of it. I didn't even remember that night at all until Tanya came to me and told me she was pregnant."

"Do you remember it now?" Bella asked, praying that Tanya had made the whole thing up.

"Bits and pieces."

Bella closed her eyes again and drew in a shaky breath.

"I'm so sorry. First of all, I should have told you. Second, I'm just sorry about the whole thing. It was just a really dark time for me."

Bella's laugh was sharp and hard. "A dark time for you, Edward? Really? Listen, it was no bed of roses for me either, but I wasn't passing the time by screwing my ex."

"Bella, I—" he began, but she cut him off.

"No, seriously. Was it all just a lie? The whole thing about how lost you were during the months we were apart? Because it wasn't a lie for me."

Edward's voice was anguished, the sound breaking Bella's heart, and almost her anger. "No. It wasn't a lie. I made a mistake. It was a horrible mistake, and I'm going to be paying for it now for the rest of my life. And you are going to be paying for it now too, and for that I am truly sorry. Please believe me."

Bella leaned her head against the door, knocking it softly against the wood several times. She couldn't help but hope that if she knocked hard enough, maybe she'd wake up from this nightmare she found herself in. Was it really just two days ago that she'd been holed up with Edward in her hotel room thinking that her life couldn't get any better?

"Bella?" He sounded hesitant and unsure. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," she sighed.

"I need to see you. I'll get a flight out tomorrow morning, okay. I'm going to come there, and we can talk."

Bella felt conflicted. On one hand, she wanted nothing more than to see Edward. She missed his touch and his smell and the way she felt when he held her. On the other hand, she felt so hurt and betrayed. She knew that rationally, she had no reason to be upset with him. She and Edward were not a couple during his fateful night with Tanya. However, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. They had spent the majority of her time in Chicago discussing how much they had missed each other during their time apart, and how broken they had both been, and now to find out that Edward had spent that time seeking comfort in Tanya's arms; It was almost more than Bella could bear. Not to mention the fact that Edward's actions would now tie him to Tanya in a very permanent way.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Bella said, her voice sad and weary. "I think I need some time. I know that's probably not fair to you, but I don't feel like I can think right now, and you coming here is not going to help. Just give me some time, please."

Edward was silent for a few moments. "Okay. Whatever you need. I'll be here, okay?"

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Bella."