Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot.

Thank you to the awesome Skyebella98 for always fixing my chapters. muahz! =) Any mistakes seen are still mine, though.

This is short, but I hope you like it.

CHAPTER 20

BPOV

I was looking at the papers in my hands. The words were clear but I still couldn't quite believe Charlie did this.

It had been two weeks since my father died. The media and the entire ruckus that accompanied Charlie's death had died down. There was even a feature story about Rose and I being his daughters; however, the public didn't seem too interested in us, and so we were left alone.

Charlie died from complications of his sickness. Almost the entire nation mourned the loss of its beloved playboy. Rose attended his funeral, but I didn't. There was so much hate I couldn't get past just yet, and I didn't want to be in that position where I would be forced to fake my sadness over his death. His passing was something that didn't have any profound effect on me. It was as if someone's father died, and I was just an audience to the whole event. It was me who was in this situation but I was devoid of all emotions, not really feeling his loss. There was no attachment to him because I didn't know him; he was a stranger to me.

Rose had supported my decisions and I was grateful for it. She had never once told me what to do when it came to our father, and I respected her own decisions when it came to him. I was even happy she had chosen to attend his funeral. It might've been her way of making amends with him, forgiving him somehow.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

The papers in my hands were light weight, but what was written in the document weighed heavily on me. Even if I willed it away, the papers and everything that came with it wouldn't disappear. I still had a hard time comprehending why Charlie did this. It was always assumed he would give all his money away if Rose and I wouldn't agree with what he wanted. Even Billy said donating all of Charlie's wealth to the state and to different charities was a possibility if we didn't recognize him as our father

I took a deep, cleansing breath and looked down at the copy of Charlie's will. It stated that all of Charlie's money, along with his different estates, would be divided between Rose and me.

This was where I was confused. He was so adamant to let everyone know he was our father, that he literally bribed us to do it. It was so annoying to see him thrust everything toward us thinking it would make us change our minds. Then he dies, and suddenly here we were, a couple of hundred million dollars richer because of him. It seemed he had planned to do this all along.

You would think having that much money given to me would've made me happy, but it didn't; it made me sad. Everything he gave us now was much more than what we needed then; when I still had my mother. The ironic thing was I didn't need it now, but here he was leaving me with more than what I would ever need in my lifetime.

What the hell would I do with it?

xxxxxxxxxx

"Bella, sweetie, we talked about this. Stop over analyzing things already. It's okay," Rose assured me.

We were both signing the papers in Jenks office. Billy Black was sitting across from us, observing while we completed all the necessary documents for the transfer of all of Charlie's estate and money to us.

"I know. I'm still trying to get used to the idea of inheriting something from him," I answered.

Once I finished signing all the papers, I leaned back in my seat and stared at Billy. He gave me a sad and solemn smile. He looked older than the last time I saw him; Charlie's death definitely took a toll on him.

We stayed another half an hour, mostly to make sure there was nothing left to discuss.

I felt a strong hand wrap around my arm as I stood up to leave the room.

"Bella, I need to talk to you," Billy said. He looked toward Rose, as if asking for permission. She smiled and informed me she would be waiting outside for me, before leaving the two of us alone.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Billy," I started. It dawned on me that I meant every word. It must have been awkward for Billy to hear me say this since Charlie was my father, but I felt it was the right thing to do. He knew Charlie better and loved him like a brother. Charlie's death had a monumental effect in his life than it had in mine.

"I should be the one to say that to you," he responded sadly. I knew it must be difficult for him to talk about his best friend. The wariness and sadness were reflected in his eyes as he stared at me.

"Bella, I know Charlie was never a father to both you and Rose. It saddened me that up to his last breath, he didn't get what he had wished for." His voice was shaking and I pitied him. He was being so brave talking about Charlie to me. I could hear the pain in his voice and see it in his eyes. "You were his wonderful daughters. I knew that, he knew that. The world shouldn't be required to know. I never agreed with his decision to force you into announcing he was your father. It was so wrong, even I can acknowledge that," he said flatly. "But he was a stubborn man, and he was used to getting his way."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this, Billy," I replied, frowning.

"I don't know. Maybe I want you to understand."

I stayed quiet and waited for him to continue. He was patting his hand distractingly over his right pant pocket.

"Charlie was really a hard man to please. He always had this quirkiness about him not all could understand. He was stubborn as a mule." He smiled when he said this. "Maybe you got that stubbornness from him because you never relented. I don't say I also agree with what you did, but I respect that you have your own mind."

I gave him a sad smile, and he nodded.

"I just want you to know that even though Charlie was a bit of an ass, he had loved you…and Renee. In his own little way, had had loved you both. I know it's hard to believe but he did."

I frowned. There was no point in arguing with him about this. He believed what he believed, and so did I.

"I have something I think you might want," he said. He pulled something out of his right pant pocket and handed it to me.

"This was Charlie's. He never took this off. I think he would want me to give it to you." He closed my hand, and leaned forward to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, Isabella."

I stared at his retreating form, still confused at what just happened. I opened my hand slowly, curious as to what it was he gave me. I gasped. There in my palm was a pendant with the big letter R adorned with diamonds. Renee had the same pendant, but instead of the R, she had a C.

Looking at it made everything okay. This was a symbol of their love.

He had loved Renee in his own way, and somehow, just the thought made me feel lighter.

I closed my fingers over the jewelry; the weight and the coldness reminding me that I might just be able to get over my anger with him. I clutched it tighter as I left the building, knowing my mother's love for him wasn't a waste after all.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Little bird, do you think you'll be able to join us this weekend?" Jasper asked, as he nibbled on a cracker. Alice wrapped her arms around his neck, and he turned to give her a kiss.

I smiled, knowing Jasper had reformed his man-whoring ways and was now in a serious relationship with her. It's about time he stopped fucking around.

Alice raised her head and cocked her brows in question. "Bella, say you and Edward will be coming with us to San Diego. Please!"

Alice would be turning twenty-five and decided she wanted to celebrate it with Jasper and a group of her friends.

"Umm, I still haven't –"I started at the same time I heard Edward say, "Yes, I talked to Peter and cleared my schedule for four days."

I quickly spun around, excited to see him. He was out of town for three whole days, and I missed him. He and Emmett had to go to San Francisco to follow-up on some important business there.

Edward settled beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. Before I could say anything, he leaned toward my ear and whispered, "Come on, baby, give me a kiss."

I could feel the tingles running through me. I only had to turn an inch before he captured my lips. "I missed you," I whispered against his mouth, and I felt him smile.

"I know, Bella."

"Hey you two, cut it out," I heard Jasper say in a teasing voice, as I reluctantly pulled away from Edward. However, Edward nuzzled my neck and continued kissing the sensitive skin there. I wanted to be embarrassed by this display of affection, but I couldn't; instead turning to find Jasper grinning at us. It had taken a couple of months for Jasper to be okay with me dating Edward again. He was more protective of me than Rose was. They had an agreement I wasn't privy to, but I knew it had something to do with Edward taking care of me. Their relationship was civil. They would never be close friends, but at least they we cordial to each other when I was around, and that was all I could ask for.

"Rose told me she would be coming," I informed Jasper. "And I know Emmett would also be going."

Jasper raised his eyebrow in surprise, and I nodded my head. Rose and Emmett were officially dating now. With Royce out of the picture, and Emmett's divorce almost final, there was nothing hindering to make their romance known to the public.

Carlisle Cullen would definitely not be happy about this development. He was still adamant about Edward breaking up with me. Surely, he would want Emmett to do the same thing with Rose since she was my sister. Edward was headstrong, however, on keeping me with him. He was always reassuring me he wouldn't give me up for anything or anyone. His father didn't intimidate him any longer. Whatever Carlisle had planned for the future, Edward and I would be together to fight against him.

"Come on guys the pie's ready," I heard Alice say. Jasper sprinted toward the kitchen, in a hurry to taste Alice's famous pumpkin pie.

I was about to stand up when I felt my hand being pulled. I turned to Edward to tease him, but my words were stuck in my mouth. Edward was looking at me passionately; his gaze was fiery and it burned me.

"I love you, Bella."

"I know."

"San Francisco was lonely without you. I wish I didn't have to be away from you," he whispered, and the way he said it made my heart melt.

"Oh baby, if only we can stay in one city always, I'll be the first to rejoice. But you know we have our work to think about. Besides, I know you wouldn't be happy doing nothing," I argued, trying to lighten his mood.

"I just wish…umm…that I wouldn't be away from you; I don't want to. You're mine, Bella," he said fiercely. I leaned down and kissed him again.

"Someday baby, I promise," I whispered, my words were filled with meaning. I felt his arm tighten around me.

He was staring at me so intently, and my breath stopped for a few seconds. I was so scared and so excited at the same time. I knew what I said, and from the way he was looking at me, I knew he understood.

"Do you mean it?"

I nodded and smiled.

"Promise?"

I nodded.

"Someday soon, baby? You'll say yes when I ask?" There was no denying he didn't mistake what I meant. I would say yes if he would ask me to marry him. In the future, that is.

I smiled and leaned down to kiss him again.

"Say it'll be soon."

"Maybe," I whispered, and his grin widened.

"I love you so much, Bella."

This time I pulled him close for a long, wet kiss.

One more chapter to go guys. ;)