BPOV

I'm the first to wake up in the morning, and I grab a shower and dress before I go check on Jasper. He's sitting in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee, and smiles blearily at me when I walk in.

"Good morning." He clears his throat. "I know Esme and Carlisle are coming in today. I'll be out of here in a few minutes."

I'm pouring myself a cup of coffee and staring at him over the counter. "No one is kicking you out."

Sighing, he nods. "I know that. And I'm really grateful to you both for last night. But the sooner I figure out what's going on, the sooner I can figure out what I'm doing."

I move to the table and sit down. "What are you thinking?"

He doesn't say anything for a long time. He just stares into his coffee as if it somehow holds all the answers for him. When he finally answers me, it's not what I expect. "How can I be upset when I didn't know she was so unhappy? I love Alice, at her best and at her worst. If she felt like she couldn't talk to me … if she felt like she couldn't share this, whatever this ends up being, then I have to take some responsibility for that."

I blink rapidly a few times, trying to process what he just said. "Are you fucking kidding me? Jasper, you've been together ten years. You two have lived together for six years, and you've been engaged for almost a year. You just found out she's been cheating on you, but this is somehow your fault?"

"Bella … It's my responsibility to make her happy—"

"No, it's not. It's your responsibility to be happy, just like she's responsible for herself. You two can be happy together, but that only comes with communication and trust and respect. None of which she has given you." I reach out, grasping his hand. "Jasper, you're a good guy, a good person, and you deserve to be happy and be with someone who wants to be happy with you. I don't think Alice wants that."

He just stares at me for a while before asking, "What do you think she wants?"

I take a deep breath. "Alice has always just wanted to be accepted and popular. She's always been living up to her mother's high standards. I think Alice has always just wanted to be loved, in any way she can get it."

"I loved her … I still love her."

"I know you do. But, if she's been with someone else … and that someone else is a woman. Then maybe it doesn't matter how much you love her. Love, while a beautiful and happy thing, cannot solely make someone happy. It's not how that works."

"Then I don't know what to do. The last decade of my life has been wrapped up in Alice." Jasper sips his coffee, and I sigh.

"You need to figure out who Jasper is again."

When Edward wakes up, Jasper has left. I gave him the spare key to my place with an open invitation to crash if he needed to. I'd planned to stay with Edward while his parents were here, so we wouldn't be in each other's hair. I fill Edward in on our conversation.

"Never in a million years did I think this was going to happen," he says, drinking his own coffee as I wipe down the kitchen counters. "What about the wedding?"

"I have no idea. I would assume it's going to be called off, but who knows with those two." I rinse the sponge and drop it into the holder. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah, I'll grab my keys, and we can go."

An hour later, Carlisle and Esme Cullen are loaded into Edward's car as he navigates us back to his house. We had gone inside to meet them at baggage claim, and I was surprised that Esme drew me in with a warm hug. "We didn't plan much for today since you were traveling, but if there's anything you want to do or see, just let us know."

Esme and I are sitting in the backseat while Carlisle chats Edward's ear off up front. "I actually need to go pick up Edward's birthday present. I was hoping you'd come with me."

"I'd love to. If you want to make a day of it, I'll take you to lunch." I offer her a smile, and she reaches out to pat my hand.

"I know I wasn't thrilled when you and Edward first told us you were dating, but I do like you, Bella. I've just always heard …" She trails off, looking for the right words.

"Not so great things about me?"

"Yes. It just always seemed like you and Edward were destined to be adversaries, so I was surprised. That's all." Esme smiles, and I want to warm up, but I've always had a hard time relating to mothers.

"We can talk more today, but I'm sure Edward never told you about any of the things he did to me, did he?"

"What do you mean? Edward, what is she talking about?" I start to giggle.

"Nothing, Mom. Bella's a liar. I've always been a perfect angel." Edward shoots me a wink in the rearview mirror, and I stick my tongue out at him. When we get home and everyone gets settled, Esme asks when we can head out to pick up Edward's gift. The party isn't until tomorrow, and between his parents and myself, we're having the whole thing catered, so there isn't much for us to do.

Esme and I load up into my car, and she directs me where to go in the city. "What are you getting Edward?"

"Cufflinks. Carlisle got a pair when he turned thirty, so I thought I'd do the same for Edward," she tells me as I search for parking after locating the store. "I found a nice pair that he can use for any number of events."

"Oh, he'll like that." I find a parking spot and feed the meter before we cross the street and enter the store.

The jeweler boasts custom-made pieces and estate jewelers, and while Esme chats with the clerk, I wander around the display cases. There are necklaces, bracelets, and brooches, all with stunning detail or simple designs. As I weave through the glass cases, I keep coming back to look at an Art Deco-style ring. The card next to it reads: Sapphire Navette Ring, 1.58 carats; SOLD. It's oval with pointed ends, a yellow gold band, and an intricate geometric design. Something about it appeals to me. I can't explain it, but I want to try it on.

Esme calls my name softly, and the spell is momentarily broken. I walk over to see the clerk laying out the cufflinks, and I sigh at the sight. In a delicate filigree are Edward's initials intertwined on a silver base. They're simple … just like he is. "Oh, they're lovely, Esme."

The clerk packages the gift up as Esme settles her bill, and I wander back over to the case with the ring. "You should try it on." Esme is looking over my shoulder, and I jump a little.

"Oh, no, I couldn't." Laughing nervously, I start to walk away. "I don't even wear an every-day necklace. Besides, it's big; it would probably dwarf my hand."

"Oh, let's just try it on for fun. What could it hurt?" Esme calls the same clerk over.

"I could fall in love with an outrageously priced ring," I mutter, and she laughs.

When the clerk pulls out the stand, the ring somehow looks even more beautiful without the display case spotlight. I sigh and allow the clerk to help me slip it onto my finger. I expect it to be heavy, but when I take a moment to admire it against my skin, it feels like nothing. I tilt my hand a little and brandish it toward Esme, who laughs. "It looks fantastic on you. What do you think?"

"I think I never gave much thought to rings before, but this one takes the cake." I carefully pull it off and hand it back. "Let's go eat."

I walk quickly to the exit, feeling uncomfortable. Esme finally catches up with me, linking her arm through mine. "Are you all right?"

"I don't know. I started to think about the future and …" I stop walking and look at Edward's mom. "We're cool, right?"

"Yeah, what's going on?"

As we start to make our way back to my car, I start unloading everything. It's a range of topics from my own mother passing away when I was so young, to Alice and Jasper, and rounding out with me agreeing to move in with Edward.

"How are you feeling? About moving in with my son, that is. That's the only thing you can actually control right now." Esme and I are sitting in a little café, waiting for our server.

I smile. "I'm actually really happy about that. Edward is … he's really special. I don't have to tell you that."

"No, but it's nice for a mother to hear it." She pats my hand, and when the server comes, Esme orders us two beers, and I give her some serious side eye. "Edward and Carlisle can always come get us if we get tanked."

"I actually don't drink anymore."

Esme nods. "She'll have a …"

"A Coke is fine with me."

The server disappears, and she looks at me. "Is there a story there?"

"Well, a few months ago, your son said I was a mean drunk …" Over lunch, I fill her in on how Edward and I got together, being very careful to leave out the hate sex. I wish I could say that Esme offered me phenomenal motherly advice, but what she did tell me was to follow my gut and my heart.

"You're a good person, Bella. I can see that. From the way Edward talks about you, to the way I see you interact with perfect strangers … you're worried about Jasper, who's been like a second son to me for more than twenty years." We're pulling into Edward's driveway, and when I put the car into park, I turn to look at her. "And whether you want to admit it or not, you're worried about Alice. Trust yourself, you know what to do and what's right."

We walk into the house, and Esme scurries to the guest room to hide the present while I go looking for Edward and his dad. I see Carlisle outside in the back yard but no sign of his son. I head to the bedroom to drop my purse when Edward pops out of the bathroom.

"Did you two have fun?"

"Yeah." I wrap him in a hug, pressing my lips to his. "I really like your mom."