Chapter Twenty Three

Edward

I was stunned at first by Bella's words. Just how had Jasper got her to believe all this? He couldn't have been at the house that night. I would have seen him, sensed him, or something. No, he had somehow heard what happened from Jake, who must have witnessed my actions in leaving the bundle outside in order to steal away with it. As for it being alive? Well, that was just crazy. How could it possibly have survived the trauma of its birth? I had been forced to pull it free of Bella's body and it was limp and blue. Besides, in the cold night, it would have been dead in minutes, even if the wolf boy had picked it up and run off with it. As for Jasper taking it, why the fuck would he do such a thing? And even if he had, what did he know about babies or for that matter first aid? He would have had no chance to save such a tiny, pathetic scrap of humanity.

Bella stood looking at me challengingly as if waiting for me to try and argue with her, but realizing that would be pointless I just smiled.

"Poor pathetic sweetheart. If only you could hear yourself. He's brainwashed you into believing anything he says. Remember with his gift it would be so easy. Bella, come home with me. I'll get you some professional help. Forget about Jasper and his crazy stories. I promise you Bella that I have not lied to you. The... The baby was dead when it came and it wasn't normal. I was so worried about you that yes, I was foolish. I didn't know what to do so I put it outside. I was going to collect the body and bury it properly once I knew you were safe. I shouldn't have done that, it was disrespectful to your feelings, I can see that now and I apologize."

I thought I had provided a pretty good explanation and apology, but she just continued to stare at me. Then finally she answered, but not as I had expected and hoped.

"Edward, I don't think you are capable of telling the truth about this. You never wanted our child and when I had the accident and the baby came early you saw it as a God-sent opportunity. You could dispose of it and I would never know. You thought I wouldn't feel the loss. You really thought I could just forget the baby and act as if it never existed. I learned a lot about you while I was pregnant, a completely different side to your personality and I don't like what I discovered. I don't love you anymore Edward. I want a divorce and I never want to see you again."

Her words hit me like physical blows that came one on top of another.

"What? What are you saying? Did you really expect me to jump for joy at finding you were pregnant with some kind of half breed, thing? I knew what it would do to you and I didn't marry you only to lose you, especially not for something I didn't even want? I never wanted a child and as a vampire, it's impossible. It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't seduced me on Isle Esme. I told you that you should become a vampire as soon as we were married. The honeymoon was a mistake. The biggest of my life and one I will always regret. Now, having said that I am prepared to put it all behind us and start over. No more rubbish about babies and wanting a family. Personally, I think you got the whole crazy idea from Esme and we all know she's weird when it comes to kids. You only have to think about your own parents to see how bad a mother you would have made. They were hardly model parents, now were they? Let's just stop all this. Come home with me and I'll call the others, tell them we've sorted things out and we can all celebrate the new year together. Rose and Emmett will be here by then so the whole family can come together. It'll be just like old times. You'll enjoy that."

Bella

I found it hard to see what I had ever loved about Edward at this moment. As far as I could tell apart from his vampire good looks he had not one redeeming quality.

"You really are unbelievable Edward. Do you not understand anything? Is it really beyond your capabilities to love anyone but yourself? All I ever hear is how hard this has been for you, how you want things back the way they were. What about me? What about my feelings?"

He stared at me as if I were mad.

"Your feelings? What feelings? For the past year, you've shown me nothing but cold indifference. Maybe you don't love me anymore, maybe you never did and this was all a ploy to get what you really wanted, to become one of us. Well, you got what you wanted and a lot more besides. I gave you everything a woman could want and all I asked for in return was some love and understanding. This stupid pantomime has gone on long enough. Whatever Jasper tells you that child is not ours. I have no idea where he obtained it. Maybe he kidnapped her or even killed her parents to stage this elaborate play."

"Of course, it can't be our child, can it, Edward? Our child was male and deformed."

"Exactly. Now you are beginning to understand."

"And you are quite sure about that?"

He scowled, "Of course I am. I saw the damn thing. You are driving me mad with these asinine questions. Can we please go home now? I'm bored with this topic."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to bore you for much longer. I just wanted to be absolutely sure I had all the facts."

"Well, now you have them. I take it everything is crystal clear? Come on Bella, let's forget about what's done and start over afresh and let's start by leaving this place."

I pulled free of his hand, which had grasped my upper arm as he finished speaking and his smile vanished.

"Now what?"

"I'm going to be as clear as I can be Edward, I don't want there to be any misunderstanding between us."

He sighed heavily and stood to hear what else I had to see with ill-disguised impatience.

"Go ahead, then. Have your say. Let's clear the air."

"Thank you, Edward. That's magnanimous of you."

The scowl that darkened his face told me he had heard the sarcasm in my voice and I was glad. I'd had enough of him, enough to last me for eternity.

"I arranged to meet you here to say goodbye. I'm not going home with you now or anytime in the future. It's over between us. I'm going to file for divorce and as far as I am concerned if I never see you again it will be too soon. You are a selfish, self-centred liar. I just wished I'd seen this earlier. Goodbye, Edward, we won't be seeing each other again."

As I turned to leave he grabbed my arm and swung me around to face him, his own made ugly by the anger which twisted it.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? If you try to divorce me, I'll drag your sordid little affair with my psychotic 'brother' into the open and make sure that the kid gets taken away from you. Don't think you're going to ride off into the sunset with someone. You belong to me until such time I say otherwise. Is that clear?"

I was about to answer him when he was wrenched back into a dark corner of the room with a low cry of surprise.

When I saw him dangling just above the floor being grasped by the throat by a familiar figure I smiled.

"Thank you, Jasper, but I think I've got things under control."

"Maybe, but I don't like to hear a lady being bad mouthed, especially by someone who is supposed to protect her."

I nodded and gestured for him to let Edward free which he did with a contemptuous flick of his wrist.

Edward choked and stood up, his expression was livid.

"Don't think you can come sniffing around and take my leftovers, Jasper Hale. Whatever plan you made to get Bella won't work. It will all fall apart when she realizes she can't keep the kid you supplied. What will you do then? Snap its neck or drain it?"

Jasper was genuinely upset now and I knew it was what Edward had said about Megan that had riled him.

I knew he was fast, but even I was surprised at just how quickly he moved to slam Edward against a concrete pillar which cracked, powdered plaster and cement falling to the ground like powdered snow.

"You listen to me Edward and you listen good. If I ever hear you say anything about that little girl I will personally rip your fucking tongue out and feed it to you. Are we clear on that?"

Edward glared at him, but Jasper wasn't letting go without an answer and he shook Edward like a dog worrying a rabbit.

Eventually, Edward nodded, "OK, I hear you."

"And understand?"

There was the slightest of pauses and then Edward nodded again, "Yes. Now put me down."

"Just one more thing, if you give Bella any hassle over the divorce or cause her any problems at all I'll find you and when I do you'll wish you were mortal. She deserved better than you and I aim to make sure she gets a second chance along with her daughter."

Edward's eyes opened wide at those words, he really had thought Jasper had acquired a child for me but now he wasn't so sure. Would he try to obtain parental rights over Megan? Well, he'd only get them over my dead body.

"I understand."

The theatre doors opened at this point and Jasper dropped his hand from Edward's throat, allowing the latter to break away and disappear into the crowd of humans.

When he was gone, I turned back to Jasper.

"Thank you for stepping in. I appreciate it."

He grinned a lazy smile and leaned back against the damaged pillar.

"But you had it all under control?"

I nodded, but I couldn't hold the serious expression I tried to,

"OK. I guess I'm glad that you stepped up to defend Megan."

His expression became serious suddenly and he took my hands in his staring intently into my eyes.

"Bella, I will always defend Megan just as I will always defend you, no matter the threat. Megan is a daughter to me and I love her. She's also an innocent, unable to protect herself."

I found myself shivering inwardly at his intensity.

"I hope that's OK with you?"

I nodded wishing he had said… Well, it didn't matter. My precious daughter has a champion. I just hoped she would never need to be protected, but I didn't trust Edward especially since he had lost face in front of me. He would be looking for payback and of course, Megan was the weak link, but if he thought he could get his hands on her he was sadly mistaken.

"Did you mean it? About filing for divorce?"

"Yes, I don't want any connection with Edward. He makes my skin crawl. I guess I'd better find a good lawyer."

He nodded absently looking away for a second, then brought his attention back to me.

"I could get a hold of Jenks, the Cullen's tame lawyer. He's good."

I smiled, "And you'd love for Edward to contact him only to be told he's representing me?"

He smiled broadly, "Hell yes."

"OK. Go ahead, get in contact with him. I want it understood that Edward is not going to get Megan, not even visitation rights."

"Sure. That might take a while though."

It was my turn to smile now.

"Nope. Edward already denied all knowledge of Megan. Listen."

I brought out my cell phone on which I had recorded Edward's conversations with me about our baby, both of them.

"Well, I have to hand it to you, Bella. You certainly made sure you tied him up in knots. He can hardly put a claim in for a child he admitted to you in his own words was a male, deformed and dead. Remind me never to get on your bad side. I guess we should head back if we're going to take Megan to the movies, it's getting late."

"Let's stay an extra night. We can go skating tomorrow and to the movies. Tonight I'd just like to spend time together with you and Megan somewhere quiet. Do you think she'll be too disappointed if we put her treats off for a few hours?"

"I doubt it, after all, it means an extra day away from home with you. You might want to think about the future though. She already asked me if you were going to take her away when you leave."

"She has? What did you say?"

He shrugged, but I could see the pain of the separation he could see ahead in his eyes.

"I told her you haven't said yet, but it was your decision as her mommy."

I nodded, unable to speak for the fear and pain I felt myself. I would have to find somewhere for Megan and myself sooner or later and I had no idea what Jaspers plans were. Megan would be heartbroken if I took her away from her daddy, but I could hardly expect that he would want to stay with me. I put it to the back of my mind and pulled him towards the exit.

"Let's not think about the future for a couple more days. I don't feel up to it and I think you and I need to talk about it in detail."

He nodded his agreement and we left, hand in hand, keeping an eye out for Edward although I doubted he would hang around after his recent confrontation with Jasper.