A/N:

Thank you so much for all the support and reviews. I really appreciate it and I'm so grateful. Special thank you to Mel Cee for betaing and being so supportive.

The next chapter (age 18) is going to be broken into three parts. Let me know your thoughts and predictions:)


Age 17

Bella's seventeenth birthday was tomorrow. One more year in purgatory then she was free. Free to start her future with Edward.

The past few months since Edward's birthday extravaganza had been interesting. Bella continued to accompany Edward to his parents' charity galas and "intimate" dinners. She rotated the same two outfits, and even though it had been a few months of attending these sorts of functions, she still felt like she didn't belong. Liz and Ted were nice enough but seemed to relish in Bella's discomfort. They also seemed to want to remind her that she was an orphan any chance they got, especially in front of guests. Mentioning foster care was a surefire way to kill any budding friendships.

Bella never got a good feeling about Edward's parents. They were pretentious and manipulated Edward. It started out with little things like Edward joining sports and cutting his hair short, but it slowly escalated to the company he kept and the path he would take after high school. She hated the fact that they continued to deny the fact that she was Edward's girlfriend; instead they would introduce her as "Edward's little friend, who by the way, has been raised in foster care" whenever he wasn't around.

Fucking rich people. Bella hated them. She didn't want to tell Edward about how rude his parents were, seeing as he idolized them, but one day after she'd attended a "barbeque" that nobody actually barbecued, her will to remain silent had started to waver. Ted saw her standing by herself momentarily and decided to spark up a conversation with Bella.

"Bella, how are you?" Ted smiled his signature Cheshire cat grin.

Bella inhaled deeply—something about Ted intimidated her. Not to mention, she never had a real positive male influence, having lost her dad at such a young age.

"Fine, sir. How are you?" Bella said, politely.

"Well, thank you. Now Lizzie and I were talking and she told me that you enter art shows competitively. Is that correct?"

Bella nodded. "Yes, sir. I've showcased my work for several years now," she explained, proudly.

Maybe he wanted to talk to her about art? Maybe finally take an interest in her?

"Have you given any thought about college? I know given your unfortunate living situation, college probably isn't the easiest decision," Ted implored.

"I've been thinking about it, but I'm saving as much money as I can for Edward and my road trip."

Bella and Edward were planning a road trip across the US, getting their first real taste of freedom, as soon as they graduated high school.

Ted shook his head. "Yes, he mentioned that silly little plan. We shall see if that comes to fruition. But anyway—back to college. I was thinking I could put you in touch with a friend of mine who is head of admissions at UCLA. They have a decent art program."

"California? That's way too far. Edward and I haven't given much thought to where we—"

"I wasn't talking about Edward, dear." Ted smirked, enjoying correcting her.

Bella looked puzzled. "But he and I…" She gasped, understanding that Ted intentionally didn't include Edward in his conversation because he was trying to separate the pair. He was trying to send Bella across the country so that she wasn't a stain on his future.

"I can see you understand what I'm offering. Don't answer now. Give it some thought. We have time," Ted said, sardonically, walking away before she could utter a single word.

Edward had come out of the pool, making his way over to Bella, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and she tried to push the conversation with his adopted father out of her mind.

That had been in late July; now it was the beginning of September, and Bella was still bothered by the exchange. She didn't know how to broach the subject with Edward. If she bad-mouthed his family, then she would look like the jealous orphan girlfriend. But why should she have this weighing on her shoulders? And when did she start hiding things from Edward and pretending everything was fine when things were so clearly not?!

Edward was driving Bella home from her new job at the supermarket. She was a bag girl, which was good because she needed the money. Problem was her shaking hands ensured she wasn't the fastest bagger and dropping things was inevitable.

Bella was scheduled for her road test tomorrow. Edward was supposed to drive her there and wait for her so they could, in his words, "celebrate."

Bella was staring out the window, trying to convince herself not to tell Edward about Ted and his proposal.

"Bella? Have you listened to a single thing I just said?" Edward broke her out of her internal struggle.

Bella shook her head and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Long day. What did you say?"

"I said that my parents are having a Back to School dinner with a few people. Do you think you'd want to join me? It could be fun." Edward tried to make it sound appealing.

Bella gave him a "really" look. She didn't want to see Ted. She'd spent the last month avoiding him.

"Okay, fine, maybe it wouldn't be fun. But I'll be there. Doesn't that help?" Edward gave her a goofy grin.

"Yeah, yeah, you're gorgeous. Fine. But I'm not wearing heels!" Bella grumbled, crossing her arms.

Edward reached over the console and tickled her side.

"Wear your pajamas for all I care," Edward said flippantly.

"Oh your mother would just love that, not to mention your father and his grand ideas… fuck!" She punched the dashboard. Bella sucked at lying and hiding shit, especially from Edward.

Edward slammed on the breaks, looking in the rearview mirror. Thankfully nobody was behind him. He spotted a parking spot before the underpass and pulled over.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Edward barked, putting the car in park, taking his annoyance out on the gear shift.

"Can we just drop it?" Bella suggested, looking out the window.

"No, we can't just drop it! Did Ted say something to you?" Edward's eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't imagine his adoptive father saying anything to offend Bella.

"I mean, yes. But now that you mention it, I don't think it's as big a deal as I'm making it," Bella lied, wanting this conversation to be over.

"Bella." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose.

Ignoring Edward and looking toward the underpass, Bella spotted Billy.

She pointed and proceeded to get out of the car. "Billy!" Bella waved her hands.

Embry started barking as Edward exited his Range Rover. It didn't go unnoticed to Bella how he made sure to press the alarm on the car twice.

She rolled her eyes, hugging Billy. "How are you? I thought about you last week with the heat wave. I walked by with some frozen water bottles and a sandwich but I didn't see you…" Bella trailed off.

"Hey, Bella! Yeah I've been driving around to different car dealers. Trying to see if anyone will buy the truck."

Bella gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Why? That car is like your baby. Where are you going to sleep in the winter? Surely your tent won't hold up if we get another blizzard." Bella began to worry, looking at Edward, who stood there quietly.

"Hey, man." Edward did a handshake exchange with Billy and ruffled Embry's fur. Billy was apprehensive about touching Edward in fear of dirting his designer clothing.

Edward was ticked off that Bella got out of explaining her comments for now.

"I'll be fine, Bella. You worry too much. I've been on my own a while. I can take care of myself and my little man." Billy gestured to Embry. "'Sides, your home girl Charlie is the one you gotta watch out for," Billy declared.

Now Edward was concerned. "Why? What did you see?"

Edward was protective not only of Bella but Charlie. He made sure to call her weekly to check on her and ensure she was okay. He even brought her birthday presents in July.

"She's hanging with a bad crowd. All guys. Older. She had lots of eyeliner on and a cropped top. She's too young for that shit. What is she 11?" Billy surmised.

"She's 10. I'll call her later. Thank you for keeping an eye out." Edward nodded in gratitude.

"'Course. Although I might not be much help anymore if I get that job at the bodega down on River Road. Fingers crossed, dudes."

The couple nodded. "Of course. You know if you need a reference I could ask my dad…" Edward suggested.

"Thanks, man, but I gotta do this on my own. I wanna do it right. Be my own person. Independent and free," Billy preached.

Bella smiled, understanding Billy more than he knew. She couldn't wait to be free.

Edward pulled out his wallet, knowing Billy was too proud to accept money for himself. "Here, get Embry some good dog food and maybe even a toy." He handed him a hundred-dollar bill.

Billy shook his head. "Edward, I don't want your money. We're cool. I appreciate your offering though. And thank you for the food the other day. Can't remember the last time I had Mickey D's." Billy laughed, always making light of his situation.

Edward pulled out his phone, looking at the time. "I hate to be rude, Billy, but we've got to get going."

"Move in peace, my friends! Stay blessed!" Billy hugged Edward and Bella, grabbing Embry and heading down the underpass.

Edward and Bella made their way back into the car. Bella shifted in her seat, knowing that Edward wasn't going to let go of her comment about Ted.

"So?" Edward implored, turning in his seat, making no moves to start the car.

Bella threw her head back, hitting it against the headrest of her seat. "Fuck. I shouldn't have said anything. It's nothing really. Ted just said that he knows people at UCLA's art program and that he could help me get a leg up, basically." She gave him an edited version, leaving out the part where Edward wasn't included in these future plans.

"And that was a bad thing?" Edward wondered aloud.

There was something in the tone of his voice that really ticked Bella off.

"Why yes! It was a bad thing because he only proposed that on the condition that I leave you behind!" Bella roared, not giving a shit about his feelings toward Ted at that moment.

"He wouldn't do that. He knows you're my girlfriend. He knows we're planning our future together. You must have gotten confused." Edward dismissed her, started the car, and proceeded to drive her home.

"You know what Edward, drop me off at the recreation center. I need to speak with Emily about the next scholarship opportunity and the rules," Bella quipped. Talking to Ms. Emily could have waited until next week but the recreation center was closer than her home, and she needed to get out of the car as soon as possible. Edward was making her sick, and the last thing she wanted to do was say something she'd regret.

It wasn't just about how he dismissed his adoptive father's actions and tried to make it seem like she misunderstood. Bella was struggling to hold her tongue on how Edward acted toward Billy too. Typically Edward acted down-to-earth, but today she noticed him putting on airs and acting like his new rich friends. Like he was better than everyone. Like he had never had to struggle. Like someone she didn't recognize, or like, at all.

She didn't want to cause a fight, so she dropped it. Masking her feelings had become second nature.


After having Edward drop her off at the recreation center, Bella watched his car drive away and then she proceeded to walk home. She didn't feel like talking to Ms. Emily today, and she certainly didn't want to hear anything about college after the talk with Ted and how Edward had dismissed her.

As Bella unlocked the door, she heard Kate call out Garrett's name. Bella cringed. As hard as she tried, she was very triggered by Garrett, specifically his name. The name of the loan shark that killed her parents was Gary, and although the two men couldn't be more different in stature, Bella was still haunted by her past. With her birthday tomorrow and only one more year left in foster care, she couldn't help but think about her parents and how different her life would have been if they hadn't died. How different her life would have been if she hadn't been forced into the system. How different life would have been if she didn't meet Edward. The last thought pained her and she shook it out of her head. Even if she had to endure all the misery over again, knowing what she now knows, Bella would still suffer it all if it meant she could be with Edward. Although right now she was pissed at him, he was still all she had and all she really has ever known.

Lately, it had been weighing on Bella how she couldn't remember what her parents looked liked. She never got a picture of them, and all she had left of them was her Velveteen Rabbit book, which she misplaced after moving from the Burtons', and her blanket was a tattered mess but she kept it despite its worn appearance.

Bella played with the loose strings on the edge of the blanket, bringing it to her nose and inhaling the scent that lingered there. Oftentimes, she pretended she could still smell her mama. It was one of her most prized possessions.

Some of the most special things in life were a bit shabby at times.


Edward drove home, pondering the proposal Bella claimed Ted gave her. Edward grew to love his adopted parents. He felt like they filled a void in his life that he wasn't aware was missing. Edward had no reason not to trust Liz and Ted. They have been nothing but accommodating and invested in his new life with them, sometimes too much so.

First thing Edward did upon arriving home was find Ted in his home office, sitting behind a huge mahogany desk. Edward knocked on the opened door out of courtesy and respect.

Ted spun his chair around, seeing Edward. "Come in, my boy!"

Edward smiled proudly. He couldn't remember a time when he felt as special and loved as he did now.

"So what's up, son?" Ted gestured to Edward, nodding for him to take a seat in one of the two leather armchairs in front of him.

"So I was just with Bella, and she mentioned a proposal you gave her about UCLA and her leaving me behind in exchange for help with admissions?" Edward blurted, hating to burden his busy father with this. He shifted back and forth in his seat.

Ted laughed. "Oh, Edward, clearly Bella is mistaken. All I meant was that I knew Donald, the head of admissions at UCLA, and that if she wanted me to, I could help her make contact. I didn't mention you because clearly you're going to be here with us. You do know how I want to groom you to take over the company. It's a big undertaking but I believe you have what it takes. I apologize for the misunderstanding. I can speak to Bella and better explain myself if you'd like," Ted elaborated while looking through files on his desk.

Edward shook his head. "Not necessary. I told her it was one big misunderstanding. Thank you for clarifying. Bella will be fine." He started to stand up and head for the door.

"Oh, Edward," Ted called. "I forgot to tell you the limit on your credit card has increased and there is a cash advance option as well. I appreciate how conservative you're being, but please buy a few things. Enjoy it," Ted insisted, eying his adopted son.

Edward nodded and thanked his pseudo father, making his way up the stairs to his room. He needed to call Charlotte to check on her. Edward grew worried about his foster sister after hearing Billy's findings.

He plopped down on his bed, kicking his dress shoes off, and pressed Charlie's name in his phone.

"Hello," Charlie spat, sounding irritated and a tad fuzzy.

"Hey, Charlie!" Edward was glad to hear her voice. She held a special place in his heart.

"Oh, Edward. Hi." Charlie grew quiet; her breathing was all you could hear on the other end of the line.

"Don't sound so excited to hear from me," Edward quipped. "Charlie, are you okay? You know if things are bad, I can get my parents–"

"Edward, stop! I just don't understand why I'm so unwanted. I'm pretty and funny, not like some of the girls in my class. They have the personality of a wet blanket."

"Charlie," Edward whispered, his heart breaking for the young girl. She deserved to be loved, and she definitely deserved to be adopted. Unfortunately life didn't operate that way, whether or not you were deserving enough. "Is this why you're hanging out by the underpass with older guys and wearing cropped tops?"

"How do you know about that?" Charlie grew defensive. Her vulnerable moment was just that—a moment. After thinking about it for a minute, she finally spoke. "Billy. I knew he'd tell one of you."

"Yeah and for good reason. Charlotte, you need to be careful. A lot of these boys are trouble, and you can get yourself hurt. I would hate to see you injured or worse," Edward warned, staring at his ceiling.

"Yeah yeah, Edward, you worry too much. How's Bells? Her birthday is tomorrow, right? Any plans? What did her boyfriend get her?" Charlie joked, taking the focus off of her.

"I bought her new art supplies, but I have to get her something else. I'm so behind this year. You know she hates presents and money spent on her. If all goes well, she should be getting her license tomorrow. I wanted to get her a car, but I know she'd murder me," Edward remarked, laughing. Going to the car dealership with Bella would be comical.

"You know Bella, she wants things from the heart and that are meaningful. You'll think of something," Charlie reassured. "I gotta go, Edward. Irina's home and wants to talk to me. Catch ya later."

Edward rolled his eyes at Charlie's eagerness to get off the phone. He lay on his bed, staring at the wall, as he replayed today's events. He had to make it up to Bella somehow. Edward knew how sensitive she was about money and how nervous she still was around his family.

Billy popped into Edward's mind. Sucks he was trying to sell his car, which doubled as his home.

That's it! Edward thought. "I'll buy Billy's truck for Bella." He spoke aloud in his empty room.

He called Bella at midnight to wish her a happy birthday and told her he'd be at her house at noon to meet her for her road test.

Edward was already a terrible sleeper without Bella, so he was up half the night, excited for his surprise.


Edward got up early the next morning and raced out the door. He had called Emmett, a friend of his from school, to help him with his plan. They had Spanish and lunch together. Emmett had transferred to Saint Joseph's shortly after Edward. Emmett's dad was a marine biologist and was traveling constantly, and his mother had passed away when he was younger so the boys bonded over their childhood wounds.

Emmett was less than thrilled to have been recruited for this excursion. He usually wasn't up until one in the afternoon.

"So why can't we get a car at the dealership for your girlfriend? I'm so confused. Your parents have more money than God," Emmett questioned, rolling down the window in the passenger seat.

"Because Bella isn't impressed by materialistic shit. Our friend Billy needs his car sold, and she lives to help people. So it's meaningful. You know from the heart. Oh wait, I forgot, you don't have one," Edward teased, turning his focus back to the road.

"Ow." Emmett slapped Edward's shoulder.

Edward had been working out since being adopted and joining sports at school, but Emmett had a solid fifty pounds on Edward and was all muscle. Even with the advantage, Emmett refused to join any of the teams, stating he was better at computer science.

"Har har. I have a heart. I just don't get all the trouble for a high school girlfriend, bro. Once we get to college, there are going to be so many women throwing themselves at you. Think about all the tits!" Emmett boasted.

Edward scoffed. "I love Bella. Thank you very much for the concern."

They were approaching the underpass, and Edward began looking for a parking spot.

"Sure you love her but she's still in foster care. Geez, orphaned and alone. Surely that messes someone up. I mean look at you, you got adopted and you're still an asshole," Emmett mused, eating a granola bar. He meant no insult; he was just stating the facts as he saw them. Emmett liked Bella the few times he met her. He knew how these sorts of situations played out. After all, his father was on marriage number four. "Is the sex any good?"

Edward ignored the last part, refusing to speak about Bella and his sex life, or lack thereof. Sure he and Bella experimented with making each other feel good in other ways besides actual sex. But Edward respected Bella and her need to wait until she was out of foster care.

"Don't call her that, fucker. She hates being a victim and she's not alone. Bella will always have me," Edward defended. "And I'm not an asshole. We all have our shit, Mr. 'I can't go hunting because I'm afraid of bears.'"

"Shut the fuck up with that, bro." Emmett looked around for any witnesses. "I told you about my bear story in confidence. Not cool."

Edward laughed. "A bear came up to your porch when you lived in Pennsylvania and stole your pasta. It's not a life or death story."

"It could have been—"

Edward cut him off. "Hey, Billy!" Edward called from down the corner.

Billy poked his head out of the red pickup truck and threw a peace sign in the air while making his way over to where Edward and Emmett were standing.

Edward went in for a half hug and proceeded to introduce Emmett to Billy.

"Billy, this is Emmett, my buddy from school. Emmett, this is Billy." They exchanged a handshake, but Billy remained weary as he always was with new people.

"So I was thinking … are you still selling your truck?" Edward started, looking to where Billy had it parked. It was definitely in rough shape and would need some work, but it was worth it, just thinking about the smile that it would put on Bella's face.

"Yeah, even the dealership on Route 21 wouldn't buy it. Maggie's not pretty enough, I guess." Billy named the car after his crush before he ended up on the streets.

"Maggie?" Emmett snorted while Edward smacked him on the back of the head. Bella would love this.

"Is five grand enough for Maggie? I wanna buy her for Bella," Edward inquired. He'd stopped at the bank to get cash out before Emmett arrived earlier.

Billy was stunned; given the condition of the car, he only expected to get a thousand dollars.

"Yeah. Yes. Uh." Billy sputtered. That money could change his life.

Edward would have offered more, but he didn't want it to be flagged by the bank and then his parents would be notified.

"Perfect. Bella will love it," Edward stated proudly. Billy was relieved Maggie would be in great hands.


Emmett drove the Range Rover back to Edward's house and went to pick up his car while Edward drove Maggie to Bella's to take her to her road test.

Bella was waiting outside when she saw the truck driving down the street. Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw Edward behind the wheel.

"What did you do?" she asked in a playful tone as Edward pulled over and got out of the truck, tossing her the keys.

"Happy birthday, baby!" He laughed, placing a kiss on her temple.

Bella hit his chest. "Shut up! You didn't?!" She squealed.

Edward beamed with pride, watching Bella react to his gift. He was thrilled to have made the right choice.

"Billy now has way more than what he probably expected for Maggie. Did you know her name is Maggie?" Edward remarked, pulling her in for a hug.

Nodding against his chest, Bella breathed in Edward's scent. "Thank you. This is wonderful. A perfect birthday gift."

"Now onto the road test. Think you can parallel park her okay?" Edward cautioned. She had been practicing on Edward's Range Rover whenever he had the chance. And every so often Kate would take her to a supermarket parking lot to get practice in.

"Oh my God! What if I fail? Then this will be for nothing." Bella gulped. Not like there was any pressure to pass her driver's test.

"Let's practice parking a few times before we head to your appointment," Edward reasoned, walking over to the passenger's side.

Bella groaned and threw her head back, entering the driver's seat.

"I can't believe I did that. Can you believe it?" Bella cried, looking to Edward for his reaction.

Edward was standing by the truck, clapping his hands. "My girl is a licensed driver."

Bella passed her road test with flying colors. She didn't even bump a curb.

"Time to celebrate! Where do you want to go to eat? Do you want to take the train into the city?" Edward offered, taking her license into his hands to examine the photo. "Beautiful by the way."

Bella blushed. "Would it be so terrible of me if I said I wanted to eat McDonald's?"

Edward barked out a laugh. "Gourmet meals, huh?"

Bella laughed, getting into the driver's seat.

They spent the rest of the day eating cheap fast food in the back of Maggie. As it got dark, they parked by an open field that gave a perfect view of the starry night sky.

They lay in the bed of the truck, cuddled around one another. Basking in this rare time of togetherness. Bella turned in Edward's arms to straddle him and began kissing him. Edward ran his hands up and down her body, exploring her in ways he hadn't before.

Their lives didn't offer many moments to be typical teenagers. But fate granted them one exception in the remaining hours of Bella's birthday. They made out like an ordinary couple under the night sky. It really was the perfect way to end an already happy day.

Too bad, the pair of unfortunate souls didn't see the cracks that would soon turn into craters…


A/N: Their first time is next chapter btw;)