Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Stephenie Meyer owns it all. I am merely having fun with her characters.

Author's Note: HUGE shout out & thank you to my beta dolphin62598 for getting these chapters back to me so quickly! And another big thanks to my pre-reader teacher1209 for reading over these and giving me her thoughts! Another BIG shout out and thank you to LunaEclipse17 for creating the kick ass banner for this story! You can check it out on my Facebook page. I also have other pics posted for this story in an album called A Lie Upon Your Lips on my Facebook page. Song Inspiration for this chapter: Here with You by Sick Puppies

Chapter 20

EPOV

Here With You

THREE MONTHS LATER

Tony and Claire were now five months old. I could not believe how fast they had grown and changed in such a short time.

They truly were amazing children. They were absolutely perfect. I went to sleep every night dreaming of a future with Bella. We had gotten…so much closer. We were in sync with everything baby related and as parents had become true friends again. I still felt that spark between us more so than ever. I knew there was hope for us. I just had to make her see that.

We had not had any moments like the one Alice and Jasper interrupted since then but if I had five more minutes before they walked in my lips would have been on hers and things may be very different right now.

However, Bella had grown incredibly flirty over the last several months. Unfortunately, we were never alone. The twins were always with us which don't get me wrong, I was happy about, or family and or friends were around. When the twins slept, we slept, separately.

I had to make sure everything was planned out accordingly before I went to Bella with my intentions. She would never even consider us as a couple if I stayed in Forks. She didn't know this but I had already let the apartment I rented after the divorce go. I wanted to be in whatever city my children lived in…and Bella.

Tony and Claire's faces were always in my thoughts. I could never get them out of my mind even when I was away from them. Claire was such a daddy's girl already and Tony was most definitely going to be a mama's boy.

I had made up my mind that I had to be close to them to watch them grow. I could not be in Forks away from them. And truth be told, I loved everything that was here. I had grown close with all of the friends Bella had made here and even her mother had become like a second mother to me. I loved them all and had no intentions of giving any of them up.

Right now I was still living at the hotel closest to Bella's apartment. Not that money was an issue but they had made me a really great deal on a weekly rate until I figured out what I was doing. But I had been talking to my parents daily about moving here permanently.

I still had to run it by Bella and discuss the prospect of a job at Phoenix Memorial, where Bella worked, with my dad and Dr. Volturi.

No matter how Bella felt about us being together, I had to take the steps to put my plans in motion to make sure I relocated here permanently. I had to be a part of the twins lives even if that meant me not being a part of Bella's.

This morning started with another phone conversation with my mother and she was pushing me to make a move with Bella like usual.

"Edward, your father is discussing the job opportunity for you with Dr. Volturi again this morning. They have a Zoom meeting at 10:00am. Dad seems to think he will be calling you in for an interview as early as this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning. You really need to tell Bella your plans to move to Phoenix. I can't believe it's been five months and you two have not discussed anything but what kind of wipes and diaper cream to buy and what songs to sing to the twins to put them to bed."

"Mom…we have discussed more than that," I argued.

She chuckled, "Edward Anthony, you know what I mean. You have not had a serious discussion with each other. Am I wrong?"

I told my parents everything every day, so she already knew the answer to this question but wanted to make me say it.

"No, Mom…you're not wrong."

"Well there you go. You need to tell her your plans…all of them."

"What do you mean all of them?"

"Silly son of mine, you know exactly what I mean. Your plan to move to Phoenix and your plan to make Bella yours of course."

My mother knew me too well and she had hoped for this all along so of course she was going to keep pushing the issue now with everything that had happened.

"Slow down, Mom. I don't know that Bella wants that. She could just want me around for Tony and Claire."

"Men really are clueless. You really need to trust your mother's intuition. Bella has given me no reason during our conversations to think that she would not want a relationship with you as more than the twin's father."

Wait...Bella had conversations with my mother? When did that start?

I guess I said that out loud because Mom answered quickly, "I talk to Bella almost daily. She calls me to ask advice or questions about the babies or I call her to check on them and her of course. We just like to talk to each other. Is that a crime? She is my future daughter-in-law after all. The one I always wanted," she added.

I started pinching the bridge of my nose. As much as I wanted that, my mother's optimism was frustrating because I just did not know if it was going to be possible and I was terrified to get my hopes up that the four of us would be a family.

I finished up the conversation with my mother quickly after that so I could get to Bella's. I couldn't wait to see her and my children. My fingers were crossed that I received a call soon from my dad about an interview with Dr. Volturi today or tomorrow.

Today had been an amazing day. I had spent it playing with Bella, Tony and Claire and we were topping it off with dinner at her mom and Phil's house later tonight. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie would be in attendance as well.

To make the day even better, Dad called me and said I had an interview lined up with Dr. Volturi at Phoenix Memorial first thing tomorrow. So now all I had to do was work my Cullen magic on him…and eventually Bella to make her mine.

We had just arrived at Bella's mom's house and we were the last ones there. Having two five month-olds to wrangle did not allow us to be on time for anything. Renee greeted us both with big hugs and scooped up Tony in his carrier first while Alice bolted for Claire as soon as we walked in.

"Jeez, can you guys let us walk in," Bella said while laughing.

I loved the sound of her laugh. I could listen to it every day for the rest of my life and never tire of it.

We had all decided that instead of cooking tonight we were having pizzas. Phil had left to go pick them up while the girls were in the kitchen preparing a salad to go with them and setting out some chips and dips. Lord knew pizza alone was never enough for Emmett's bottomless stomach.

I sat on the floor in the living room playing with the twins surrounded by my two new best friends. Things flowed so smoothly between Emmett, Jasper, and me. It was like we had always been friends.

They did not hold anything against me for my previous behavior. They judged me by who I had become at this point in time. I truly felt no matter what happened between Bella and I, they would stay my friends.

I was cooing at Tony and Claire when Emmett spoke first, "Dude…you need to make your fucking move already," he said in a loud whisper.

Hunh?

My head shot up from looking at the twins, "What? What do you mean?" I questioned.

Jasper was next, "We can see how you feel about Bella AND the twins. You're not just here for your children. You are in love with all three of them."

Emmett interrupted, "Yeah, and Bella is a catch you fucking idiot she is NOT going to stay single forever! You…need…to…make…a…move!" He said the last part slowly enunciating each word as if to make sure I understood what he was saying.

Emmett was right. Jasper continued where Emmett left off. "Edward, how are you going to feel with another man raising Tony and Claire? How are you going to feel with another man being here every day for every moment of all their lives and that man is not you? Because trust me…if you don't make a move and let Bella know how you feel…it will happen."

All I could do was nod.

It made me feel like losing the contents of my stomach when I thought about another man beside Bella each night…reading stories to my children…tucking them in…comforting them when they were sick or scared.

No!

I would not do it!

Emmett and Jasper were both right. I had to make a move and make my feelings known to Bella and soon…before it was too late.

I took my eyes off the twins playing on their mat long enough to glance into the kitchen and focus on their mother.

She was laughing and talking with all the ladies, and as always I was floored by her beauty. She had never seen herself clearly the entire time I had known her. She never understood what drew me to her.

Everything. She was so selfless and loving and a far better person than I could ever hope to be. I knew from the first time I saw her even though I had that stupid ring on my finger from Tanya that Bella was it for me. Tanya could never ever compare to her and I was a fucking fool to ever even try.

The one and only thing Bella and I had discussed over the last several months of a serious nature was my man whoring ways after I divorced Tanya.

Flashback

We had just gotten the twins down for the night and I asked Bella if I could talk to her before I left to go back to the hotel. She agreed and we sat down on her couch together.

She allowed me to sit close to her as she had been doing lately without protesting. I reached over and grabbed her hand and pulled it over into my lap not letting go as I started speaking.

"There's something I need to know to get it out in the open. I want you to hear it from me and I should have told you long before now but we have been so busy with Tony and Claire." I kept my head down as I paused. I really didn't want to do this. But I had to. I prayed she wouldn't stop letting me see the twins. I almost wouldn't blame her if she did. "I'm so ashamed of this…" I added.

She brought her other hand over and placed it on top of our hands in my lap. "Edward…is this about all the women after the divorce was final?"

I looked up in to her eyes, tears I didn't realize I was holding in pooling in my eyes. I nodded.

I could see tears forming in her eyes as well. "It's okay. I mean it's not okay. But Leah kind of already told me. I'm not exactly thrilled but the bottom line is we weren't together…I mean…we technically still aren't together. I'm glad you wanted to tell me and be honest. You have been so forgiving for what I did to you about keeping the twins' paternity from you and not telling you myself. I am not going to hold this against you in any way. In fact, if you feel up to it…" she paused, biting her lip.

"What, Bella?" I asked inquisitively.

"Maybe it would be good for us to go to some sort of family counseling? I know we are not a couple but we are trying to co-parent and everything we work out between us will make us better parents, right?"

"Yes…absolutely. I have no issue doing that with you. In fact, I'll call my dad and see who he would recommend here and get something scheduled as soon as possible."

She smiled softly and pulled me in for a tight hug. It seemed as if neither of us wanted to let go at the time. I loved having her in my arms. It felt like home to me.

Pulling away quickly and wiping any trace of wetness from her eyes, I did the same and she spoke first, "It's late…why don't you go ahead and stay here…for tonight."

"In your room?" I asked jokingly…but not really. If she had told me yes I would have done so in a heartbeat.

Laughing she playfully slugged my shoulder and said, "No silly, on the couch like usual. But if you're good…I'll make you breakfast tomorrow…the good stuff," she said winking at me.

End Flashback

Nothing happened that night but since then we had gone to a couple of counseling sessions together and some individually. At the sessions together, we were not diving in to anything related to seeing if we would end up as a couple or not. We spent the sessions together working out an ill feelings towards one another over the lies we had told each other and secrets kept. It was actually our therapist that basically told me I needed to make a decision and make it happen, either moving to Phoenix or not and speak up about it. I was just praying Bella would be open to it.

Meeting with Dr. Adi was helping me come to terms with my own stupidity for everything I was responsible for screwing up.

If I had been smart and listened to my heart from day one I would have marched home and demanded a divorce from Tanya and then pursued Bella. That would have been the correct course of action.

But of course I was a damn idiot and did things the most screwed up way possible and hurt Bella in the process.

"I think we got through to him Jazz. I can see the wheels turning inside his head," Emmett whispered while laughing.

"You may be right, Em. So Edward…what are you gonna do about it?" Jasper asked with a sly grin.

That was the million dollar question. Everything was clear to me now. I knew exactly what I wanted. Bella was and always would be it for me.

I just had to figure out how in the hell to make that happen.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I had to wait til actually Wednesday to update again this time. And I did my last edits on this one faster than normal to make sure it was out today so I apologize if there are still any errors. You know what to do! Let me know what you think. I may not get the next chapter to you until next Wednesday either. Sorry for that.

I haven't had much free time to myself at all over the past week so I do apologize but I don't have a story recommendation this week because I haven't been able to read. My personal & work life are just both kicking my ass right now.