MaharaniMoony – Aw, thank you so much for reading! You're review really made me smile. ;) Lol. Hopefully, this chapter is to your liking. As for the same book title, I don't know. I happen to really like Beautiful Disaster. It's quite the fitting title for my plot, noh? Thanks for the heads' up though. Don't worry, I'll try to think up of another title. (:

tbens – Hmmm. That's for me to know, and for you to find out. ;)

For all the others who've reviewed, favorited and followed, I just wanted to say thank you! All of you are amazing motivators and really making me enjoy writing this story. Lol. Anyway. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. It was actually pretty hard to come up with the right words, but still really fun. Haha.

PROCEED!

"Human beings are funny. They long to be with the person they love but refuse to admit openly. Some are afraid to show even the slightest sign of affection because of fear. Fear that their feelings may not be recognized, or even worst, returned. But one thing about human beings puzzles me the most is their conscious effort to be connected with the object of their affection even if it kills them slowly within."

- Sigmund Freud

Bella P.O.V.

"Rosalie, what the hell were you thinking? Were you even thinking at all?" I angrily muttered to her in my ear piece while driving back to my father's place.

Dan had occupied the passenger seat, face completely calm as he slept through the drive. That's why I wore the ear piece of my cellphone – so I could still let Rose know how frustrated I am with the situation without making my voice loud.

"I'm sorry, Bella! I'm so sorry! Dan just wouldn't stop crying. I had no idea what to do." She explained to me. It was quite easy to detect her plea for me to understand what happened in her voice.

Despite how horrified and angry I am at the situation, it wasn't fair for me to get mad at her right away. I didn't even know what really went down. Sighing, I replied softly. "What happened, Rose?"

I could hear the relief in her voice as she started to tell me what happened earlier in the evening. "We were just baking some brownies when there was loud thunder outside. I went by the door to check if anything was damaged when suddenly the lights were cut off. It was hell then. I tried everything to calm Dan down. I tried carrying him, I tried giving him some food, I tried anything I could think of but he just wouldn't stop crying, Bella." She paused, I assumed to take a breath, before proceeding. "I knew I wasn't supposed to call you so I thought of going to your dad. You know, maybe he'd know what to do or something. I quickly took Dan to the station, but it turns out he couldn't be disturbed because they were working on some missing teenagers. By then, Dan kept asking for you. His cries were getting louder and louder, grabbing the attention of people from the station. I didn't know what to do anymore. I just panicked. This never happened before whenever I was with him and you never told me he was afraid of the dark, as well. With no choice, I asked an officer where the Cullens lived and made my way there. Then I called you, and you know what happened next. Bella, I really am sorry."

Listening to her explanation, I came to the realization that Rose only wanted to help. And she really had no clue that Dan was deathly afraid of the dark. I suppose it wasn't right for me to get mad at her for that. "It's okay, Rose. I'm not mad at you. I just – I was really hoping none of them would see him, you know?" Without having any control over it, a few tears escaped my eyes. "What if they try to take him away from me, Rose?"

It took a while for Rosalie to reply. "Then we'll kick their butt in court, B." I couldn't help but let out a throaty laugh. This blond idiot really is my best friend. "Seriously though, Bella. They probably wouldn't do that. They have no right. Besides, Edward didn't even want the child in the first place."

I inhaled sharply, memories starting to flash in my mind as I headed for the driveway. "You're right. You're absolutely right, Rose. There's no way in hell they're taking my baby from me."

She let out a small chuckle before it was quiet in line. "Hey, where are you staying tonight?"

Turning off the engine, I got out of the car and took Dan out of the car. He snuggled closer to me and I couldn't help but smile. "I'll stay here in Forks for the night, Rose. I – " I paused, putting the key to the door and opening it. "Gimme a minute, Rose."

"No problem, B."

As fast as I could without waking Dan up, I carried him to our room and gently laid him in my bed. I didn't bring any pyjamas to change him with, so I just covered him with a blanket. Standing up by the side of the bed, I looked at him and couldn't help but smile.

My baby.

No one is taking him away from me.

No one can.

I kissed his forehead lightly before quietly getting out of the room. Once outside, I went back to Rose. "Hey, Rose. Still there?"

She chuckled. "Yeah."

I sat on the living room couch and started running through my hair. "Edward might come here tonight. I – I want to face him, Rose. I want to get it over with. "

A pause. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you ready to face him?"

"No. But I have to."

She chuckled lightly. "That's my girl. Do you want me to stay with you?"

I was very tempted to say yes. But I didn't want Rose to be here in case things got ugly. "No, it's okay. Take some rest because we're going back to Phoenix tomorrow."

Sighing, she replied. "Okay, B. Good luck. Take care. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, bye." Then we both hung up.

I hated the silence that followed after. It gave me time to think. I hated time to think. My mind goes crazy.

Chewing on my lip, I glanced anxiously at the door.

This is Edward's last chance. If he wants to even see his son at all, he's going to come tonight. If not, then it just shows he really doesn't care.

But then, why would he want to get to know Dan? He didn't even think twice about throwing us out of his life then, what could have changed that he'd want his son now? If anything, the appearance of this child would just complicate things for him. Rumors about him would fly in our industry and how people would view him could be affected.

I wanted to forget about my past with him, but now that it was quiet, it was the only thing running through my mind.

For the past few days - coincidentally, after the first time Edward and I did the deed - I've heard these rumors about Edward only going out with me because of a bet. It's been four months since we started dating, two months since we became exclusive. Usually, I don't let rumors bother me but this one seems to really get me. Maybe it was his player ways before we'd known each other, but I really needed to hear it straight from him that this rumor isn't real.

The moment the lunch bell rang, I shot up from my seat and immediately went into search for Edward. He wasn't in the cafeteria and I frowned. He was always in the cafeteria, waiting for me. His friends weren't by their usual table, either. Where the hell was he?

A little apprehensive, I continued my search. It wasn't long before I found him by the school's field. I saw his friends first. Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley, Jessica Stanley, Darla Stewart, Aria Samuels, and Xavier West. All of them were smoking except for my then boyfriend. Edward was seated in the middle, his head on his hands.

For a moment, I wondered if now would be the right time to ask my questions. But then my need for answers and assurance won out as I continued my way to them.

Mike saw me first. His baby blue eyes danced mockingly before nudging Edward, a smirk on his face. In return, their whole group followed his line of sight while Edward lazily looked up. He looked at Mike first but saw that his friend wasn't paying attention, so he turned to look at me.

His usual kind and playful eyes were replaced with an emotionless steel gaze. It made me a little nervous. As I stood in front of them, I started fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. These people were considered the popular group in our school because of their money and good looks.

They were terrifying to a nobody like me.

All of them were looking at me, smirks or grins on their faces as they looked at me. All of them but Edward. His eyes were a little bloodshot and his tangled hair was even messier than usual. Briefly, I remembered that someone was having a party of some sort last night. Maybe that's where he'd been and had a hangover.

"Edward?" My voice came out a little shaky and nervous. He just looked at me. I cleared my throat. "Can I – um, can I talk to you?"

"Talk."

"Um, alone?"

"No." I was a little taken aback. The way he said it, it was so harsh and so unlike the Edward I fell in love with. Mike and Xavier snorted while the girls giggled a little bit. Tyler was full out laughing. My cheeks burned.

"W-what?"

This time, he rolled his green eyes. "I said no, Isabella. What, you don't understand that?"

I was getting annoyed now. He was being really rude. Why was he treating me like this? "I'm your girlfriend, Edward. Not your servant. Why the hell are you acting like this?"

This time, Edward growled, standing up – albeit a little unsteadily – before glaring down at me. "Shut up, okay? I know what you're here for." My eyes widened a little. So he did now what people were saying about us. My heart was squeezing itself in anxiousness. I was praying so hard right now for him to say that it's all just made up stories. My face must have shown what I was feeling because he smirked. "You want to ask me if I've heard about the rumors around school. About me, you and our relationship. You want to ask if it's true."

I was frozen. I couldn't speak. Here comes the moment of truth. From the way he was acting, I feared that I wouldn't like his answer. "Well, the truth, Isabella babe, is that yes, you are a bet." I felt my cheeks getting wet and I realized I was crying. I commanded my arms to move, for my hand to wipe it away, but I remained still. His words leaving me breathless. Bet. Bet. Bet. I was a bet. My feelings were all for a prize.

"You want to know what the terms of the bet was?" I wanted to yell out no. I didn't want to hear any of it anymore. I wanted him to just shut up. But my voice was stuck in my throat. I could only watch him, tears blurring my vision. His smirk widened. "See, I told Mikey boy here – " They fist pumped while everyone laughed. "That I could get any girl I want in bed. The idiot didn't believe me. So, we made a bet. He chooses the girl while I get the whole second semester of Senior Year to get her to bed. And wouldn't you know it? You're the lucky girl, Isabella. Three cheers for us since we fucked only four months after I made the bet. Your cooperation is well appreciated."

Everyone laughed, but I couldn't breathe. He didn't even seem to care that I was hurting. Not even a single ounce of remorse or guilt flashed through his green eyes. He really didn't give a fuck. "Wh-what about all the things you said? Were they all just for show?"

He smirked maliciously. The boy I fell in love with was transforming into someone I didn't know right in front of my eyes. "I said plenty of things I didn't mean, Isabella. You're a smart girl. You shouldn't be so gullible next time." He leaned down to my height and pecked my lips. I slapped him, but he laughed as he straightened up. "You have been a fun girl, Swan. Thanks to you, I have a new rest house. But I don't need you anymore. Now get lost. I have a massive hangover and I don't need your squeaky voice yelling at me right now."

With all the dignity I have left, I straightened and glared up at him. It was cruel, what he did. But a small part of me, the stupid and in love part, was hoping that he would take back his words and be on his knees for forgiveness. After a few seconds of nothing happening, I slowly reached up to my face and wiped my cheeks. "I feel pity for you, Edward." He looked at me curiously. "You have all these girls at your disposal, willing to be your toys. But because of how horrible you are inside, you will never feel an ounce of love from any of them. In fact, they will probably hate you until the day they die. I really hope karma gets to you one day. You deserve it."

And with that I walked away. But not before whispering, "And we're through, Edward. I hope your damn rest house was worth breaking my heart."

He never even cared about me when we were together. He never loved me, no matter how much I loved him. So why would he want Dan, someone who was made by me and him, in his life?

Loud banging from the front door brought me out of my thoughts.

"Bella! Bella! Open the door, Bella! I know you're in there!" A masculine voice yelled out, breaking the silence of the night.

Though my heart was beating loudly against my chest, I arranged my face so that no emotion showed. As calmly as I could, I opened the door. Edward had his right fist raised in the air, looking ready to knock once again. "You know that I could get you arrested for public disturbance, right?"

"Bella." The man in front of me breathed out, looking at me dazedly.

With a frown, I stepped out of the door. He took a few steps back to let me through, emerald eyes watching my every move. Once we were face to face, I raised a brow and looked him straight in the eye. "Well?"

Edward looked at me nervously before a determined expression graced his face. "I want to get to know him, Bella."

Crossing my arms, I let one of my brows rise higher. "And what gives you the right?"

"He's my son."

I could feel my temper start to flare at his words. "Your son?" I took a step closer, my eyes narrowing. "Your son? Are you fucking sure about that, Edward?"

He looked at me crossly. "Bella, don't even bother lying. He has my eyes, my hair, my – "

"That's not what I fucking meant." I cut him off, venom lacing my voice. "Genetically, he's yours. I won't bother denying that. But is he really your son, Edward? Are you his father? What makes you think you have the right to claim that title in my son's life? You were never there for him!"

By then, I could see his anger matching mine. "You didn't let me! I didn't even know that he existed!"

Smack!

My hand had a mind of its' own and reached over to slap him. Hard. My eyes were slits as I continued to look at him. "Because you didn't even want him in the first place! If you forgot, Edward, you fucking paid me to get rid of him. You wanted us out of your life, and that's exactly what I did! Don't you dare go blaming me for following what you ordered."

I had my fists clenched at my sides to stop myself from pounding him. Being pissed wasn't enough to explain how I felt. Hell, fucking angry didn't even do it. I felt like I'd burst any minute from the anger bursting through my veins.

Edward's eyes were turning glassy as he stared at me puffing in rage. Suddenly, he looked away, clenching his fists in the process. "I know, Bella. I know that. I just – Do you know what it's like to regret so much in your life? To feel like you're the world's biggest scum? I've made a lot of mistakes in my past but asking you to take a life – our child's life –would have to be my biggest one. If I could do anything to stop myself from doing it, I would. For a long time, Bella, all I could see in the mirror was the face of a murderer. Everything I did to you, I asked from you – it haunted me. It haunted me so much that many nights, I couldn't even sleep. But seeing you, seeing him now, I feel like there's still some kind of redemption I could do to make up for everything I've done to you."

His words were supposed to make me feel sympathy for him, but instead, I found it fuelling my anger. "And what do you plan on doing now? Play the daddy role you never even wanted? Play the daddy role you turned your back on six years ago?"

"Dammit, Bella! I wasn't ready to be a father six years ago!"

Big mistake.

After hearing his last sentence, it was incredibly hard to keep my feet planted on the ground. Letting out a bitter laugh, I glared at him furiously. "You weren't ready to be a father?!" I yelled. Remembering that it was in the middle of the night, I forced myself to calm down. Angry tears slipped down my cheeks and I quickly swiped them away. "So, what, you thought I was ready to be a mother at eighteen? You thought it was a piece of cake for me? I was fucking terrified, Edward. I didn't know what to do. I felt like I had no one. I didn't even get to stay for graduation! I had to raise my son all on my own. Do you realize how hard that was? Especially at the age of eighteen? There were many times in my life when I thought of giving up. But then I would look at my son and think of how he would be growing up without a mother. He already didn't have a father, he would be so lost without a mother as well." Angrily staring at him, I whispered in a fierce voice. "That's how much I love my son, Edward. He was the only reason that kept me going when I felt like I couldn't take it anymore."

Tears fell down his cheeks as he continued to look at the ground. "I wasn't responsible enough to take care of myself, let alone a child, Bella. If I would have stayed with you, what good do you think that would have done for us?" He whispered brokenly.

"You could have changed, Edward! You could have tried to be better – for our son. But you just didn't give a damn, did you? You wanted to continue living your life how you wanted. You wanted to play games and sleep around. You didn't want to get tied down to one girl and be miserable, so you left all of that to me. Even if I had absolutely no idea how to take care of a baby, I had to learn it, all on my own, because you didn't leave me any choice."

Never in my twenty-four years of existence did I ever think I would see Edward look like a blubbering mess. Yet here he was, exactly like that, right in front of my eyes. I would be lying if I said I felt no satisfaction from seeing him like that. Grabbing my hand, he slowly met my angry gaze. "Bella, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

I took my hand out of his hold. "Sorry won't make up for anything anymore."

Suddenly, he glared at me. "I have a right to him too, Bella. If this has to reach court for me to know him, then so be it."

Bringing the court into this was probably his biggest mistake tonight. Nervousness started to creep up to me at the thought of losing Dan, but I pushed it away. I wouldn't let that happen. There was no way. Raising my eyebrow, I looked at him incredulously. "Are you threatening me, Edward?" Forcing myself to smirk, I met his glare with one of my own. "If you want to bring the court into this, then go ahead. You can hire the best lawyers, but I'm letting you know now, I will fight tooth and nail for my son, and you can die trying to take him away from me. There's no way in hell I'm handing him over to you without a fight."

To my surprise, instead of saying something to provoke me once more, he fell on his knees and took hold of my hand again. I was too stunned to react for a few seconds. What was he doing? Edward then looked up at me; tears fell down his face like a waterfall once again. "Bella, please. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to threaten you. I could never do that to you. I just – please – I only want to know my son."

It took me a few moments to respond. I was still in shock. Did Edward actually just beg to have a chance with his son? I waited for this information to sink, but it took a while. The time I found my voice to speak was the same time I made the decision which was best for Dan.

"I don't like you, Edward. In fact, I could honestly say that I hate you. There's no way in hell that I trust you with my son." He opened his mouth to speak, but I silenced him with a stern look. "But he does need his father. I realize that keeping you from him wouldn't be fair on him. I – "

I was cut off by Edward quickly standing up and engulfing me in a tight hug. Feelings I thought I suppressed years ago started fluttering back from that one action, but I pushed it down. I wouldn't accept this. I fell for this player once; I won't allow myself to repeat that mistake again. After letting him hold me for a few more seconds, I quickly pushed him away and created some distance.

"There are some conditions though."

A smile lit up his face as he wiped some tears away. "Anything, Bella."

"You do not let Dan know that you are his father. At least, not yet. I think it's better to let him know you as a friend first before letting him know who you really are to him. When you tell him the truth, I will leave it to him if he wants to keep seeing you or not. At least if he knows you better first, he has something to base his choice from. Let me just tell you though, he won't make it easy on you. Dan doesn't trust people very easily. You're going to work very hard to earn his friendship."

Edward thought about it for a while before nodding his head. Then to my surprise, a goofy smile broke out of his face.

I looked at him curiously. "Why do you look like that?"

"His name is Dan?"

A small smile graced my face as well. "Yes. Daniel Isaac Swan. But he likes to be called Dan."

His smile suddenly fell. I pursed my lips. "What now?"

"His last name is Swan."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, what did you expect?"

Shaking his head, he threw me a sad smile. "Nothing. So, about those conditions?"

My eyes lingered on his face for a few more seconds before letting it go. "Second, as I've said earlier, I don't trust you. It would really make me feel better if you do not spend time with Dan without me."

He ran a hand through his hair. "So, I have to bring you along if I want to be with Dan?"

I simply nodded my head in reply. "And lastly, you are welcomed in Dan's life – not mine. Outside matters besides Dan and Celer, you and I are nothing. We are not even friends. Understand?"

He opened his mouth as if to protest, but then I looked at him fiercely. With a defeated look, he nodded his head. "Okay."

With a satisfied smile, I nodded as well. "Okay, well, that's it." I then started to make my way to the house and opened the door. I stepped inside before turning to face him once more. "You can contact me through my cell. I'll have Rosalie give my number to Demitri and you can get it from him. We will make a schedule then. I must let you know though that Rose, Dan and I are going back to Arizona tomorrow so just ring me up through my phone."

Edward nodded once again and with one last grateful smile, turned around to walk away.

"And one last thing."

He halted his steps and faced me. "What, Bella?"

"Please don't ever beg again. It doesn't suit you."

Then I closed the door.

Author's Note: Have you heard about Yolanda? Yes, well, she is a super typhoon that is predicted to hit my place either on Nov. 7 or 8. Please understand that I cannot update so soon after this one for obvious reasons. As I was typing this, the wind kept getting stronger and stronger. I kept chanting in my head not to have black out yet so I could still post this tonight. See how much I love you guys? Lol. Also, please help pray for the Philippines not to have that much damage. And please pray for my family as well. Our home area is predicted to be where Yolanda will have strong landfall. Thanks!

Off to lighter matters, HERE IS THE MOST AWAITED CHAPTER! Weeee! I hope I have reached your expectation for it – if not, I sincerely apologize. I truly did my best and honestly, this is how I pictured their confrontation the moment I came up with the story. :|

By the way, this chapter was not proof read. I'm aware that there may be plenty of grammar and spelling mistakes, but I will get to that ASAP. (:

Sooooooo, REVIEWSSSSS. Huehuehue. They make me very happy! (: I'd really like to know how you reacted when you read this chapter. And whatever questions you have in mind, I would gladly answer it. The questions can be about the characters, the story or about my personal life. Whichever. You can talk to me. (:

Question: What attracted you to start with Beautiful Disaster? And what made you continue reading it? Can't wait to read your replies!