Disclaimer: SM owns all recognizable characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The plot herein is mine. No plagiarism!

This story contains mature themes and is suitable for those eighteen and over.

AN: Please remember Edward's eyes were damaged from the shards of glass so they're bandaged.

JPOV

The girls giggle and I pull away from Edward's soft lips. "Who's that?" he asks, tilting his head toward the sound. "Who's in here with you?"

"Tanya and your…Esme," I'm quick to catch myself because I don't think I should say anything right now. Edward has just been through a horrible night. I don't want to add to it by telling him that his parents have been lying to him all these years.

"Esme?" Edward says curiously.

"Yes, Edward," she answers. "I'm here," she squeaks and steps closer.

"How long have you been here?" he asks her.

"Since last night," Esme replies.

Edward tries to chuckle but ends up coughing. I jump into gear and get him some water.

"Why?" Edward says and we all look at each other. Should we do this now? Edward must have sensed that something is wrong, because he speaks up. "Someone…start talking."

"She came for the gala," I say to him. "She came to see you."

"She's the reason your grandfather was checking his watch every minute?" Edward says it like a question, but he's merely stating what he obviously realized.

"Yeah, and I'm not going to wait or lie to you anymore. Edward, I knew apart of what was happening and I should've told you, baby."

"Yes, you should have, but…" he angles his head toward Esme's nervous heavy breaths. "Why are you here and what did you want to tell me?"

She swallows hard and visibly shakes. "I don't know how to start and I feel like we should wait until you're better."

"No," Edward says with conviction. "We're doing this now."

"But you need to rest," Esme stresses. "Carlisle should be getting here later today."

"Your doctor husband?" Edward inquires.

"Yes, I want him to help you," she tells him.

Tanya is by my side now, running her hand up and down his knee and he turns head to the sensation. "Hi, Tanya," he smiles.

She pulls back behind me and says in an astonishingly meek voice, "Hi, Edward."

He turns his head my way. "She's like this, love. Tanya hates when I'm hurt."

"Oh." I pull Tanya closer and wrap an arm around her.

"Yeah," Edward smiles.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," I tell him.

"For what?" he whispers.

"For knowing a part of truth and not telling you, it was dumb."

"You wanted to wait and it almost cost us," he simply states, but the weight of his words and how true they are, kills me.

"I was stupid," I say angrily, "and look what happened."

"No," Edward says defiantly. "This happened because some assholes found me and recognized me. It could've happened at another time. Please, baby, don't blame yourself."

I try to accept his words while Edward turns his attention toward Esme. "So, Aunt Esme, why are you here?"

His tone has grown serious. His face, hard, and his brows knitted. "What is it that no one is telling me? My parents already told me, in so many words, that I'd be better off dead. So, Esme, just tell me."

Esme starts mumbling to herself. "I…don't…I…can't…I want to."

"What is it, Esme?" Edward says crossly and one of the machines beeps. That must be because of his blood pressure. This is agitating him. "Why can't you talk?!"

"I want you to get some rest," Esme tries to insist. "I want you to be ready to hear this."

Edward tries to ease himself up and I help him. "Thanks," he smiles when I put another pillow behind him and kiss his forehead. It feels so good to do that.

He sighs and turns his attention to Esme again. "I want to know. What are you here to say?"

"But, Edward…" Esme starts nervously.

"No," he growls. "Listen to me, I did a very stupid thing last night and I almost died because of it. I let my parents get to me, break down my self confidence, and then I ran from Jasper." He leans his head toward me. "I'm so sorry for running. I shouldn't have, baby. I was wrong."

"I was wrong too, but never again. I'll never take my eyes off of you."

"Me neither, Edward," Tanya says tearfully. "If you pull this shit again, I'll hunt you down and beat your fucking ass into the ground."

Edward and I laugh. I need Tanya's threats right now. They're really helpful.

But Edward isn't letting Esme off the hook. She looks at Tanya and me nervously when Edward says, "Esme, are you ready to talk?" and we both nod at her to go ahead. It's time. We can deal with this…whatever Esme has to say.

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. "I came here for you, Edward."

"Why?" he questions in an edgy tone.

She takes a shuddering breath and squares her shoulders; staring straight at him as she says, "Because you're my son."

Edward falls silent and the minutes tick away before he even breathes. His attention is solely on Esme, but I know this is going south. I'm learning my boyfriend's traits and this will not go well. He's getting angry. I can see his shoulders squaring. I can hear him breathing and when he finally turns to me and ask in a deadly calm voice, "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes."

He turns to Esme and she's trembling; positively shaking on the spot as he asks her, "Why did you wait so long?"

"I couldn't get you," Esme says. "Your father…Edward Sr. He really is your father. They kept me away. And whenever I tried, they fought back."

More silence from Edward and it makes us all so fucking nervous. I wish he'd say something. Tanya's grip on my arm tightens, and I welcome the slight pain from it because my worry is through the damn roof. I wish Edward would quit with the questions and let us know how he feels. I want him to scream at us; get mad. Just fucking do something.

Esme is crying and shaking. She must have expected this reaction somehow, but I guess watching the son you've long to know treating you with disdain hurts a helluva lot.

More time passes in an uncomfortable silence until Esme breaks it when she breaks out into hysterics. "Edward, I've wanted you for years, honey. I've wanted you to be with me, sweetie," she cries, "and for years, I tried. I fought so hard for you. I tried. I tried so fucking hard!"

My eyebrows rose at her cussing, but Esme is desperate. I can understand her need to get her truth across. She needs Edward to understand.

"I visited. I sent gifts for you on every single birthday," she sobs hard. "I love you, Edward. I love you so, so much!"

Nothing. Edward is silent while Esme sobs and shakes like a leaf. I'm about to say something and then he asks softly, "Were you in love with my father?"

Esme is truthful. "No."

"What happened then?"

"He drugged me."

"And?" Edward says. I know what he's doing. He does this. He's going to take the blame. He's going to make Esme's assault his fault somehow.

"Don't do it," I reprimand him. "Don't you dare, baby."

"He hurt her, Jasper," he tilts his head toward me and says.

"And it's not your fault, Edward."

He goes silent again, but not for long this time. I can see the questions swirling around in his mind. His suddenly twitchy posture is giving him away. He has so much he wants to ask Esme.

"Just ask, baby," I say to him.

He angles his head toward Esme. "You're the reason they didn't want anything to do with me, aren't you?"

"Yes," she says to Edward. "Elizabeth despises me. She didn't like kids as far as I knew. But our mother was a very demanding woman. She forced Elizabeth to take you; strictly on the basis to protect the family's social standing. Elizabeth was engaged to Edward Sr. at the time," Esme chuckles. "I wasn't going to name you after him. It was mother's…idea."

The way Esme says it; the hatred on her tongue makes me see that she still hated her family for taking Edward away from her, despite how he came into being. Here's a mother who would've loved and protected him from harm.

Edward chuckles, "What would have it been?"

"Anthony," Esme smiles ruefully. "It was supposed to be Anthony Carlisle…and he was going to give you his last name."

"So I would've been Anthony Carlisle Cullen," Edward surmises, but I still don't like the edge in his tone or the fact that he hasn't exploded on us yet. He's too calm. Something is coming.

"Yes," Esme says happily. "You and your sister would've both been Cullens."

"Really?" Edward says a little too enthusiastically, and what I fear comes to the surface. All the hatred and anger I'm expecting is in his tone when he growls at her, "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No," Esme whispers shakily. Her smile wiping off her face as she stares at him wide eyed.

"Good, because I'm still from a bunch of fucked up people who only care about money and standing!" he shouts. "And you…you left me behind," Edward hisses; raising up from the pillows. "You left me to the mercy of them! I wasn't theirs. I was yours! And your excuse is that they took me?!"

"Edward…" Esme tries but Edward is too far gone.

"Shut up!" he roars and the women jump at the thunder of his voice. "Tell me the whole truth…NOW!"

Esme sobs and trembles and I try to calm Edward. "Baby, please…"

"No," he growls at me. "I want to hear every damn thing, Jasper. What do you know?"

I don't hesitant. He needs this, and then he needs time to process it. "That Esme is your mother. Elizabeth is your aunt, and she has endometriosis. It's not possible for her to have had you because she was diagnosed before your inception."

"What else?"

Esme speaks up this time. "Your father was always hanging around me, but I was in love with Carlisle. By the time you were born, Carlisle and I had formulated a plan for me to run away with you, but they threatened his plans to become a doctor, his life and means to support us. My mother and your father were instrumental in making Carlisle's life hell so I told him that we'd wait and build a life and then come and get you. My mother had cut me off. So I had no money..."

Edward sighs loudly and exasperatedly, "Yeah, yeah, and no fucking prospects; so you couldn't exactly take them to court for custody."

"Exactly," Esme says. "But I still tried my best to let you know about me. But Elizabeth was there at every turn."

Edward chuckles darkly, "But don't you see? You did get to me."

"How?" Esme asks with a slight bit of hope in her voice.

"You're an artist," Edward starts, "and I love art. I can draw. I don't do it a lot, but the skill is there."

"Edward…" Esme tries tearfully. But he cuts her off. "I smoke. I wish I had a cigarette right the fuck now. Do you?"

"Yes," Esme replies, "I smoke."

Edward laughs and then groans and rubs his side with his good arm. "Here I thought it's because I was in New York. It was winter and I was fucking cold. I didn't know it was a family trait," he sneers at her and Esme squirms and cries softly.

But Edward goes on. "Like PB&J sandwiches?" he asks.

I know how Edward loves those. He makes them a lot. "Yes," Esme replies nervously.

"Ha!" Edward laughs and the women jump again while he takes a deep breath and groans again.

"Baby, your ribs," I say to him in warning. "Please take it easy."

Edward doesn't answer me. He smiles and finds the hand I have on the railing, and run his hand over it. But what I'd just said apparently gave Edward the boost he needed to drive another nail in Esme's coffin.

"Hey, Mom?" he says it with so much malice, it burns me. "Do you want to know why those guys attacked me?"

"Edward…please," I beg him.

"Edward, don't," Tanya warns; we both can see where he was going with this. But Edward pushes on.

"Why?" Esme foolishly asks and Edward smirks.

"Because they wanted to fuck me."

Next: "Get out!"