This chapter hasn't been beta'ed, i will post the edited version asap.
I can't stand the silence of the house. Izzy is sleeping and the house feels empty without my father. I'm at the sink washing the bit of dishes that were left in the sink from the repast when I feel Edward enter the room.
"Bella." One word, that's all it takes for my body to crave his arms around me.
After a quick internal debate I decide to ignore him. I can't face him with the tears streaming down my face. I've worked so hard to hide my pain from the world, one glance at Edward and I know I'll crumble; I have to keep the mask in place at all cost. At the funeral I didn't shed a tear; I had to be strong for Izzy, she was devastated that her Grandpa was gone. Jacob showed up and with him came Leah. I know that everybody in that stupid church was waiting for me to crack as soon as I saw them but I couldn't allow those vultures to win; so I wore the mask. The Ice Queen was a role I was comfortable playing, it was safe. I can't afford to let my guard down anymore. I have too much at stake, so I keep washing dishes without a word.
"Don't do this Bella. We've come so far"
My hand tightens around the dishcloth as I wash the same plate over and over again. Edward wraps his arms around me and gently pulls the plate out of my hand. In a moment of weakness, I revel in the warmth of his embrace and the clean scent of his aftershave before pulling away.
"Don't Edward..." I snatch the plate out of his hand, hating how my voice cracks. "Just don't."
"Don't pull away from me, Isa" His hands cup my face as he pleads with me. "You're avoiding me. I see through you. I know exactly what you're doing. This isn't you needing space, you're checking out on me, and I won't let you. I love you Isabella Swan and I'm not letting you go. I am not Jacob and I'm not your mother, I will not leave you. Bella, look at me. Please."
I shake my head frantically as tears blur my vision. They all leave and when they do, they take a piece of my heart with them.
"Damn it! Look at me! I'm not going anywhere." I turn around and face him. His emerald eyes shine with both sincerity and love "I swear to you, I will never leave you or Izzy."
"I think I messed up." I'm crying but when he reaches out to hug me, I pull away from him. "Don't!" I yell at him but then I lower my voice remembering that Izzy is sleep. "Just let me go, please."
I wrap my arms around myself as Edward looks at me with a mixture of hurt and confusion. "I won't ever let you go. It'll all be okay, Isa. Whatever it is, we can fix it."
"You can't fix this, Edward." I whisper with my eyes downcast. "I think I'm pregnant." I keep my eyes on the floor because I just can't bear to watch him walk away from me.
"What? When?" His hands drop from my face and with a deep breath I repeat myself.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure. I only realized that I was late 3 days ago when I saw my pack of tampons under the bathroom sink. I did the math and I'm late. I'm never late, unless I'm pregnant. The same thing happened with Izzy. I swear, I was going to tell you, I just didn't know how." I play with my sweater and avoid his eyes. "If… if you don't want to be involved tell me now please. I swear I'll-"
"You think I'm going to leave you because you might bepregnant? Jesus, Bella. Do you really think so little of me?" Edward pulls me into his arms again and this time I don't fight him. "Bella, no. I don't have the strength to leave you. A baby may not have been in the plans but I love you and if you're pregnant…" He places his hand gently on my belly. "The baby would be ours. The very best parts of both of us and I will love him or her forever."
With tears running freely down my face I place my hand on top of his and smile for the first time in a week.
"We have to get you to a doctor as soon as possible. A baby." Edward shakes his head in wonder. I can't believe we're having a baby."
The sound of someone clearing their throat from the doorway interrupts our moment and wipes the smile right off my face.
"Hey Bells."
Jacob.
"Hi Bella."
And Leah. The two people in the world that I hate the most are in my kitchen. Great.
"I hear congratulations are in order Ed." Jacob says with a hawkish grin to Edward and a gesture toward me.
Edward opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "Fuck you, Jacob." I say to him. "What are you even doing here?"
"I wanted to pay my respects to Chief Swan and I wanted to drop off some paperwork to you that I had my lawyer file."
I lean into to Edward and whisper in his ear. "Please go wake up Izzy and tell her that her father is here."
"I'm not leaving you alone with them Bella." He whispers back to me angrily.
"Please, Edward. I'll be fine. I just don't want a scene and he's goading you." I beg him.
"Fine, but you have ten minutes."
"Thank you." I call to him as he walks ups the stairs.
"What paperwork?" I get straight to the point because I want them gone as soon as possible.
"I'm giving you full custody of Isobel."
"Jacob," I can't believe what I'm hearing. "Jacob, you can't. This will crush Izzy, you know that right? You're abandoning our daughter for this…" I wave my hand in Leah's direction. "Whore?"
"I…" Leah starts to speak but I shut her down.
"No! Shut the fuck up." I take a few steps in her direction and to her credit she doesn't back down nor does she open her mouth. "I loved you like a sister. I trusted you and you betrayed me. I can't decide if I want to smack the hell out of you or thank you for taking that penciled dick motherfucker out of my life. So I'll do both." Before either one of them can do or say anything my hand shoots out and I slap her. "Thanks a lot Leah. Now get the fuck out of my house."
"Really, Isabella? Was that necessary?" Jacob scolds me like a child, as Leah rubs her cheek and walks out of the kitchen. "Why can't you be an adult about this?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." I say, my voice dripping sarcasm. "You expected me to play nice when you bring your whore to my very recently deceased father's house, to tell me that you're abandoning our daughter? I don't think so, asshole. Just give me the papers and leave."
"Daddy!" Izzy runs into the room with a small backpack and hugs Jacob's legs.
"Izzy, Daddy's got to go honey." I say trying to minimize Jacob's interaction with Izzy.
"Hey Princess," he picks her up and I just know this is where he's going to break my little girl's heart and there isn't a thing I can do to stop it because if I intervene she'll always think that I was the one to keep her from her father.
Edward walks back into the kitchen and grabs my hand "What's going on?" He says as he watches Izzy follow Jacob out the front door.
"Just come on," I say with a shake of my head as I lead him out to the porch so that I can pick up Izzy and deal with the mess that Jacob will leave in his wake.
Jacob's car is in the driveway with Leah already in the passenger seat. Izzy throws her backpack in the car and starts to climb in after it but Jacob grabs her and sets her on her feet.
"What do you think you're doing Isobel?" he asks her harshly.
"I'm coming with you Daddy!" Izzy replies in such a way that makes my heart break for her.
"Bella," Edward tries to yank his hand away from mine, presumably to rescue Izzy. "We can't just stand here."
"We can and we will." I grip his hand tighter "We can't be involved right now. As badly as it hurts for us to sit here and watch Jacob break her heart we have to let it be done. If we intervene, we'll be the people she blames for Jacob not being in her life. We'll be the ones that she blames when he breaks promise after promise after promise." She's hurting right now but she'll heal, because we'll be there for her and Jacob won't be there to keep reopening the wound. "We'll help her get over it but we can't do that if she thinks that we're the enemy and Jacob is up on a pedestal."
"How can he do this to her, to his daughter?" Edward's voice is nothing but a pained whisper, a testament to how hard this is for him to watch.
"Jacob loves Izzy like he loves everything else, fleetingly and according to his own rules. He's not built for unconditional love." My eyes start to water as Izzy is sobs and fights to get back into the car.
"Stop it!" Jacob shuts the back door and opens the driver's door. "You stop it right now Isobel Rachel Black, I told you to get back in that house and you better do what I say right now!" His voice is cold and angry, devoid of anything to actually indicate that he was talking to his child.
I cringe when Izzy freezes in shock and Jacob takes that moment to get into the car and shut the door.
"DADDY!" She screams and he rolls up the car windows.
"DADDY, NO!" She bangs her tiny fist on the window but he drives off and my baby falls to the ground in gut-wrenching sobs.
I rush down the steps to my child, not bothering to wipe away my own tears, and I hold her close to me as she continues to cry out for her father.
At some point Edward wraps his arms around us both and I know that we'll be okay. The three of us will be fine.
I'm sorry this chapter took so long. The next chapter is an Alt take of this one. Review and let me know what you think!