EPOV

I stare into my coffee willing that maybe today something will go right for me. The way Bella left yesterday had me feeling horrible that she felt humiliated and annoyed with Rose because she wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise.

Rose doesn't even have a key, but she used Hadley's iPad as an excuse to have my child use her key. Never once had Rose not called if Hadley had forgotten something. Yesterday was intentional.

Part of this was my fault, I should have said something to Rose sooner about Bella watching Hadley and there is a very good chance that Had told Rose about Bella being present in our lives over the past week. I owned that misstep.

The selfish part of me just wants to keep Bella to myself. I want to keep the feeling of the bubble we are in when we're together.

She's light and funny as fuck.

She's the most stubborn person I've ever met.

She has also pulled my shy girl out of her shell.

With all the amazing qualities Bella has she also has shown her age, which I can't hold against her either. She didn't sign-up for the baggage I clearly came with. Without a doubt, I knew our biggest obstacle was mostly Rosalie.

The fact that Rose had the audacity to walk into my home and my room to talk to Bella the way she had was my final straw with her bullshit.

I pick up my coffee, taking a sip when my buzzer goes off.

I stand with a sigh and hit the intercom button.

"Yes?"

"Uh, it's me," Bella mumbles unsure.

As surprising as this is I don't say anything, only buzz her in unlocking the front door. I lean against the wall when she knocks.

"It's open," I call out.

She hesitantly steps in choosing to remain on the mat in front of the door.

"I brought you these," she says, thrusting the tote in her hand at me.

I take it to see they were the clothes she left in yesterday. It bothered me that she brought them back and this soon.

I watch her.

She nods and starts to turn.

"So that's it, you just run away repeatedly and we don't hash this out?" I ask her cocking my head.

Her head whips back to me and I see that fire in her eyes.

I almost smile.

Almost.

"You let her humiliate me yesterday," she seethes. "She threw my clothes at me, treated me as if I were a whore and you said nothing."

I deserved this because I did let her think that nothing was said. I did start to lash out at Rose for her little stunt in my room but Hadley had stepped out of her room looking hesitant.

Always walking on eggshells when I was in the same room as her mother.

She knew both Rose and I dated other people and to see Bella's clothes on the floor of the hallway she obviously knew something happened.

I was better at being discreet than Rose.

I dated two girls when she was a baby and a toddler but even then I made sure she wasn't in the house when they were here. Emily, a girl I briefly dated for two years, was the only one of my girlfriends that I had in the house around Hadley. She broke up with me when she said I was a commitment-phobe. Truth was, she wanted to live with us but again she didn't sleep over during the week and only had dinner with us. Maybe I had been the problem this whole time.

Even with Irina unfortunately being the most recent woman I was involved with before Bella, she too wasn't sleeping over when Hadley was here. Hadley knew I had gone out to dinner with Irina a few times per Tinsley telling her, which weighed in on my decision to end things.

Rose not once interfered with any of them, but she also wasn't as aware of the others or maybe she could sense my intentions with Bella.

She was zeroing in on her.

"I do apologize for not handling that better, but you didn't even give me a chance to apologize to you, Bell," I tell her with a sigh. "We should have been having this conversation yesterday, but you sic'd your guard dog on me."

"Jake is a family friend and is harmless, Edward." She says brushing me off, I made a note to circle back about him and the way he checked my shoulder when he left me with a glare at her building entrance. "But what's there to say? It is very clear Rosalie doesn't like me, I'm not going to hang around and let her continuously fling insults at me."

I clench my fists.

Maybe it was unfair to plead with Bella to give me a chance but I couldn't let Rose destroy something I believed to be worth it.

We had chemistry.

I hadn't ever met anyone that challenges me and made everything calm for me as Bella has, I couldn't simply let her go.

I lost my parents when I was a kid and I've never felt more alone until I had Hadley, but something was still missing. I wanted to have a partner who was there for me and made everything better when my life had the tendency to go shitty.

I wanted to be that same person for my partner too.

"Rose will be handled."

"How?" she all but demands.

"I will lay out more definitive boundaries, yesterday was partially my fault for not telling Rose about us or even telling her she'd need to call before coming over. She has only ever called and I have an inkling that she figured out that you were here," I explain to Bella hoping she'd believe me that I want to fix this.

She looks at the floor for a minute and bites her lip, something she only does when she's about to tease me or deep in thought. I hope it's the latter.

When she peers up I'm really fucking hopeful.

"I don't like that Hadley knew I was here," she says softly. "I had a single dad so I know how it feels when a dad dates—"

I can't help myself. "Are we dating?" I ask, trying to hide my grin.

She levels me a glare.

I step forward.

She meets me in the middle.

"I was embarrassed," she mumbles.

"What we did wasn't embarrassing."

"She treated me like a whore," she repeats and I can see her tears well.

I take in her closeness and wrap my arms around her.

"I'll talk to Rose and come clean to Hadley," I tell her.

"I don't want Hadley getting hurt," she stresses.

I know for a fact that Bella would never intentionally hurt my daughter.

"She is nine, she gets the whole concept of dating. She's been around many of Rose's boyfriends and is realistic about her parents dating," I explain knowing full well that my child knows I'm not a monk.

Esme was the one who's been pushing me to be more upfront with Hadley. She thinks I handle her feelings with kid gloves but insists she can handle her old man dating.

I wanted her to see that relationships can be normal and what love truly can be because I know Rose isn't showing representation on that front with her dating history.

"Edward—" she murmurs and I can see her resolve breaking.

"I don't think I've been vocal enough about this but I care about you immensely, Bell. I wouldn't beg you to give me a chance if I didn't think it was worth it," I say honestly, placing a quick kiss on her temple.

Flashes of what we did Friday night and yesterday morning come to mind.

"Why me?" she asks shakenly while staring at my chest.

I run my fingers through her hair. "You need me to tell you how crazy I am about you, Bell?" I ask softly. "That I love that you bust my balls when I'm being an asshole. That my kid idolizes you and can't stop talking about her time with you. That I think we fit perfectly and can't get the thoughts of you in my bed out of my head."

"Maybe you're just lusting after me," she whispers.

I see her insecurity but I know given some time that I can help her see why I'm falling for her. If she could understand the extent of my feelings, she'd feel the same way too.

I knew with Bella it was going to take time but I was patient and would give her all the time she needed.

"Let me fix this," I plead playfully, rocking her in my arms.

I was feeling anything but playful at the moment, but I didn't want to chase her away again.

I needed to prove to her how great we could be together.

She kisses the center of my chest looking unsure when she lets her eyes meet mine.

"Okay," she breathes out quietly. "But if Rose tries to disrespect me again I am not going to just take it, I will speak up."

"Why have you been hesitant to do so?" I ask curiously.

"Hadley," she tells me.

"You should always stand up for yourself, I try to teach Hadley that," I tell her, meaning it.

I could see how similar Bella and Hadley were in nature. Quiet and non-confrontational girls that hid in their books or mainly the worlds those books offered them.

Romantic notions of female heroines falling for misunderstood surly loners.

I might have a chance with Bella after all.

"I have to pick up Hadley later this evening, would you like to stay and keep me company?" I ask her.

She looks wary but I let my eyes plead with her until she sighs and takes her boots off.

I take her hand in mine, leading her into the living room with me.

She makes sure to sit at the opposite end of the couch from me.

"I'm lonely," I pout for good measure.

"You'll manage," she says.

I switch the TV on and put it on Hulu. I figure she is a Schitt's Creek kind of girl and I'm correct when her interest peaks when I put it on.

Her comfort is gradual.

First, she's sitting slouched, next, her socked feet come up under her then they stretch to the middle of the couch. I move slightly to meet her, taking hold of her feet in my lap.

Her eyes flick to me but they go right back to the show on the screen.

I'm innocent with my touch when I dig my fingers into her arches. She squirms her way down, melting further into my couch.

I continue to watch the show while I let my hands roam up her leg.

It is when she is basically straddling my lap when she grabs my face to kiss me. My hands move up the backs of her denim-clad thighs to palm her ass.

"You were trying to seduce me," she accuses against my mouth.

"I was only giving you a foot rub," I argue.

"Liar," she grunts when my mouth moves down to suck on the skin of her neck.

She slaps the palm of her good hand on my shoulder and pulls back to glare at me.

"I want to be taken seriously," she tells me.

"I take you very seriously," I assure her.

She rolls her eyes.

"Are you trying to date me?" she squints.

"Trying would be the keyword, but you letting me date you is up for debate," I respond dryly.

"Fine," she yells, hands up and sitting her ass on my lap. "I'll date you."

I take this opportunity to steal a kiss.

"Now that we have that settled, quit distracting me from the show," she huffs, taking a seat beside me and cuddling closer to me.

We stay wrapped up on my couch most of the day, only pausing when I order us lunch and we eat. I walk her back to her place before I take the train to pick up Hadley.

I try to figure out my approach with Rose on the train ride. I didn't want to say anything in front of Hadley to cause her to worry.

It was one less thing I needed for her to be stressed about.

The only way I see this working is I pick Had up and tell Rose we need to meet up after school drop off tomorrow to talk, then take Hadley home and discuss the weekend.

Hadley comes first, so I prefer to talk with her before her mother. I know Rose probably already tried to get in her ear but Hadley likes Bella too much to take any stock in what her mother says.

I almost make a stop at my sister's place, but I'd rather rip off the band-aid and get this over with. Esme couldn't help me fight all my battles, though she made sure she was always around to support me when I needed it.

I step off the elevator and I can hear the yelling from down the hall. I pick my pace up swearing to god that if Royce is here and raising his fucking voice around my kid I can't be held accountable for what I do.

This was a nice building, so I'm surprised no one has called in a complaint.

I pound on the door.

The yelling turns to harsh whispers behind the door until Rose slowly opens the door. I see tears that are still pouring down her face.

I push my way past her seeing a Royce standing in the kitchen just off to the side of the front door, a glass of amber liquid clutched in his hand.

His face is still red from his screaming.

He won't say a word to me because for one I'm bigger than him and two I've gotten in his face before when he's behaved this way in front of my daughter.

"Where is Hadley?" I snap.

"Her room," Rose sniffles.

"We will be talking about this and what you did to Bella on Saturday morning."

"Edward—"

"I will be here after drop off in the morning," I say, moving further past her to Hadley's room.

I twist the knob and it's locked.

"Had," I say gently through the door.

"Dad?" I hear her quiet voice ask.

"Yeah, it's me, baby," I tell her.

She unlocks and opens the door, and her face mirrors her mother's crying one.

I crouch down wiping the tears from her face, trying to be careful of her glasses.

She wraps her arms around me and buries her face in my neck. I rub her back before picking her up. I see her bag packed and ready beside her door. I grab it, sliding it onto my shoulder.

"Mom has my phone," Hadley mumbles against my neck.

I stride over to Rose holding my hand out palm up. "Phone," I demand.

I know I have to keep calm otherwise I will be just like them and scare my daughter.

Rose doesn't look at me while she retrieves Hadley's phone from the entryway table. I notice that she locked it away.

I'll wait to ask Hadley why Rose took her phone.

"See you in the morning, Rosalie," I say in a clipped tone while leaving with my kid.

"Hey, do you want to go up to Aunt Esme's?" I ask due to the way she's clinging to me.

She shakes her head mumbling, "Home."

With Hadley being so small I don't get too many weird looks while I carry my nine-year-old to the train. If my girl wants to be carried after what she's been through I sure as hell will carry her.

When we're on the train she finally lets go of me and sits beside me holding my hand. I wipe a few remaining tears from her face but don't approach any discussion of what happened back at Rose's place.

An older lady sitting across from us gives me a sad smile. I can only imagine that we look like we've been to war and back.

I think next week she'll be taking a break from Rose and I'll check in with Ali to see if she can watch her while I'm at the restaurant.

I'm back to carrying Hadley once we're off the train. I spot Al smoking on the stoop, she gives me a wave but frowns as we get closer.

"Rough weekend?" she asks.

"You could say that," I grumble.

I would really like to bum a smoke off her but think better of it. I have a habit of quitting for a few years and then getting pulled back in. One might say that I'm a bit of a health nut, but smoking is really my only vice.

"Need me for drop-off in the morning?"

I glance down at my girl before shaking my head.

"I got it tomorrow."

Ali nods with a smile.

"I'll text you later," I tell her, gesturing to Hadley.

"Okay, talk to you later, Ed."

I get us into the building and our apartment.

I kick my shoes off with an armful of kid and slide her bag onto the floor.

I press my cheek to the side of hers, "Why don't we have a chat in the living room, huh?"

She nods.

I sit her on the couch and move beside her. She's quick to glue herself to my side.

"So—"

"Dad, are you hooking up with Bella?" she asks quietly.

"Where did you hear 'hooking up' from?" I ask her cautiously, not liking that she's saying the term.

She looks nervous.

"Did your mom say that?"

"Well it was more to herself," she admits.

I run my hand along the top of her head, her eyes looking up at me so I know she's listening. "Out of respect for Bella, we should keep what your mom says between us, okay?" I ask, hoping she'll understand. "I actually wanted to talk to you about my relationship with Bella."

"She's been sleeping over," she says.

"She has," I say carefully.

"Is she your girlfriend?" she asks and I can hear the teasing in her voice.

I laugh.

"We're dating, but Bella might try to hide from me if she hears you call her my girlfriend," I joke, making her giggle.

"You are so her Mr. Darcy, Dad," she says brightly, excitement in her eyes.

I groan, giving her a playful glare. "You and that book."

More giggles escape her and it lightens the grip of the vise on my heart. I hated seeing her as upset as she was back at Rose's.

"So you're okay with me dating Bella?" I ask her.

"Yeah, Bella's cool, Dad," she tells me honestly.

I can see how thrilled she is about this.

"I also want to apologize."

"For what?"

"For you finding out the way you did," I tell her.

She nods.

I didn't want to traumatize her with the birds and the bees talk this young. I felt better already that she was on board with me dating Bella.

"I should have talked to you about me and Bella. When I date someone I'm also bringing them into your life."

"Like Ms. Irina?" she asks, pulling a face.

I honk her little nose.

She squeals.

"Yes, Ms. Irina was a poor choice on my part," I agree, giving her a squeeze. "Now, I want to ask you what happened back at your mom's place?"

She goes stiff.

"Hadley, please?" I ask her softly.

"Mom was arguing with Royce," she says quietly.

"Okay, what were they arguing about?"

"He wants her to move in with him. She said she can't and she brought up… custody."

I nod.

"Royce got in Mom's face—"

"Did he touch her?"

She shrugs unsure.

"I ran to my room but she took my phone from me," she confesses.

Her phone was new. I got it for her a few weeks ago after she used Rose's phone to call me. She knew it was only for emergencies.

"Had, why did she take your phone from you?"

"She said I gave her attitude about my key," she mumbles. "I told her I really didn't need my iPad and she wouldn't listen."

"So she insisted you come back home?"

Hadley gets quiet.

"I'm not going to get mad, but can you tell me what happened at your mom's?" I say gently.

I watch her bite the inside of her cheek.

"Hey, we never had secrets before—"

"Ms. Irina must have called Mom," she tells me looking really uncomfortable. "She told Mom that my new nanny was live-in. Mom said live-in but I wasn't sure what she meant, also Bella's not my nanny. I told her that."

"Okay, what did she say after you said that?"

"She asked if I was talking about Bella from the restaurant and I told her about the bookstore and how Bella got me the book. Then she asked if Bella had been sleeping over—"

"She asked you that, Had?" I ask calmly.

"I didn't want to lie because I saw Bella's shoes on Friday morning, so I told her we fell asleep watching movies."

I sigh, feeling like a piece of shit.

"No, it's good to be honest, baby. I should have talked to you about all of this before you went to your mom's on Friday."

Hadley lets out a sigh.

"She knew I forgot my iPad on Friday but the next morning is when she got me up saying that we needed to get it," she explains quietly.

I squeeze her to me and place a kiss on top of her head.

"I want to thank you for telling me all of this," I murmur against her head. "I'm meeting up with your mom tomorrow to discuss this weekend. I want her to realize that it's not okay to use you for her schemes."

Hadley pulls away.

"Why does she do things like this, Dad?" she asks me.

"She can't help herself," I mumble because I really don't know why Rose does what she does. "I think we're keeping you home next weekend."

"Will Bella be around this week?"

"Maybe we can have her over for dinner," I offer.

A smile breaks out on my girl's face and I know I'm making the right decision for now.

A/N: Edward will be the voice of the next chapter as well. Those of you complaining about Bella's immaturity do realize I'm writing her that way for a reason, right? She's twenty-three let that sink in. I want to thank CoppertopJ as always for her edits and support! See you next week!