Chapter 7
BPOV
"Seriously, do you have anything stronger than white wine? I'll take anything." I pleaded with the waiter.
"For your sake honey, I wish that we did." He was watching my family argue with a worried expression. "I'll check in the back, maybe the waiters have something in storage."
"Thank you." I whispered as he began to walk away. I took another long sip of wine as I watch the Masen family continue to duke it out.
Masen leaned back in his chair, clearly pleased with his handiwork. I glared at him haughtily.
"Not my fault, I'm just intuitive." He winked at me.
"Can't you use your intuition for anything besides causing chaos? Maybe for the common good instead of making people unhappy?" I begged him.
"Sorry, my little gift doesn't work that way. It feeds off the negative energy." He shrugged and then looked disgustedly at his food. "At the rate this meal is going, heck, I'd even eat the food you cook."
"You promised me that you would make an effort to get along with everyone." I reminded him.
"I did, I showed up didn't I?" he watched Edward's family again.
Flashback 4 hours
"Do we have to go?" Masen whined, batting his eyelashes at me.
"Yes, Edward expects you to be there and it's about time you met your family." I told him as I looked through my meager selection of jewelry. Nothing worth wearing to a Masen shindig.
"I've met them remember? And besides I have all the family I need right here, you, me, and our Texan neighbor."
"You haven't met Carlisle. And now, they're over the shock, they're actually prepared to meet you."
"Shouldn't they have wanted grandchildren, most people there age want grandchildren. I should be considered a little gift from heaven."
"You're my little gift from heaven." I pinched his cheek just like I knew he hated.
"Mother, don't embarrass me in front of the people I hate, I can't be my jackass self if you're babying me." He warned.
"I'm your mother, it's my job to make things difficult." I finally settled on just a plain set of fake pearl earrings and a string of even more fake pearls.
"I thought he was rich, didn't he ever buy you anything nice?" Masen said noticing my choice.
"I left it all behind, I dint want anything that reminded me of him." I said quietly.
"And yet you were carrying his baby? Wow mom, that makes no sense at all. You had a constant reminder, heck, you still have a constant reminder."
"Yes, but you, I don't mind. You've always been special to me." I kissed both his cheeks and then shooed him away. "Put the suit Charlie gave you on."
"No way, that's the science fair suit, it is never to be worn anywhere else. Besides, I have just the outfit to give old lady stick in the mud a heart attack. That otta be a nice enough wake up call." He strolled out of his room with an ACDC graphic tee and skinny jeans.
"She's going to kill me for letting you dress like what she views to be a 'hoodlum'." I warned him.
"Like I care." He was heading towards the car. Jasper came down his walk with a spiffy looking white dress shirt and necktie. He seemed incredibly uncomfortable.
"What'd he bribe you with?" I asked him.
"He said he'd fix my computer but I've got the sneaking suspicion that he's the reason it's bugged up anyway." Jasper shrugged.
"Ah well, she said invite family and hey, you're like family to us." I climbed into the front seat. Jasper sat in the passenger with Masen in the back.
"You know mom, I wouldn't have been hit by a car-"
"I am not buying you a car Masen." I hit the gas and we were off.
Back to present
"I found this. It's on the house doll." The waiter set a bottle of tequila in front of me.
"Bless you." I said as he left.
"I wish I was twenty one." Masen said.
"You'll be lucky if you make it to twenty after this stunt. I won't here the end of it for weeks! They're going to blame me for this." He was lucky he was my son or I would have punched him.
"Things were getting boring, nice to spice things-"
"I can't get married now mom, we have to post pone the wedding, Tanya will need time to adjust!" Edward cut right across Masen, addressing his mother.
"Edward, you've put off getting married long enough, will you finally let yourself be happy?" she snapped back.
"I will be happy, I just have a certain situation to handle first." I didn't even bother with a glass, I just opened the bottle and took a swig.
"Edward, you have a chance to end up with one of the most beautiful women in the world, you love her don't you. Don't let the past," Esme's eyes met mine "mess up your future." I took another drink. Masen was trying to hide his hysterical laugher.
"May I see that, I didn't sign up to do this sober." I handed Jasper the bottle. He took a swig before handing it back to me.
"Well Edward and family, this has been wonderful evening but really, we should be heading home." I tried but Masen would have none of that.
"Right, it's a school night." He laughed. Esme exploded.
"You don't even go to school. You sit on your lazy butt all day and do nothing. And you," she pointed to me "you will not ruin my son's life again."
"She didn't do anything mom, she did what she thought was right." Edward tried to defend me.
"And look what that did to the rest of us!" Alice growled at me.
"Masen doesn't have to go to school if he doesn't want to." Why didn't they get the concept?
"Are you insane, you're raising a failure!" Esme shouted.
"Now hold on a minute." I stood up. The combination of the alcohol and the insults had made me more than a little confrontational. "My son is not a failure, he will never be a failure and you will never refer to him as such. He's one of the best and the brightest!"
"How can be so bright if he doesn't go to school?"
"Wow, now I see were Edward inherited his nimrod tendencies from." Masen laughed. "You think my mom didn't make me go to school? Hell, she made me get up every damn day and got to that rat hole. I was ten when I was in the tenth grade. Don't you get it, I already finished high school once. Mom sent me back t get the experience, you know make friends and all that jazz? It's optional and I just happen to choose not to go. Ha…rich people are so stupid." Masen laughed. Carlisle hadn't said anything the entire meal, he just continued to study Masen.
1 hour ago
We all sat down at the table together. Masen sat next to me with Jasper on the other side of him. Even thought Edward and Jasper probably knew each other, Edward still sized Jasper up, watching his protective arm on my shoulder, how Masen laughed and smiled with him. I tried to smile at Alice but she glared at me, obviously angry about something. Esme looked Masen up and down before shaking her head.
"Dressed like we should be at McDonalds." She sighed.
"My mom doesn't let me eat at McDonalds, she says it isn't healthy." He said in a mocking tone. Carlisle stood by her side, also looking Masen up and down. He seemed genuinely interested.
"Bella." Rosalie greeted frostily,
"Rosalie," I said with just as much warmth. She said hello to Jasper and sat down. Why was she even there, she and Edward weren't even biological family, they were cousins by marriage. Edward shook my hand, tried to and actually tried to say hello to Masen without grimacing. It almost didn't show. I threw a smile at him and he actually grinned back.
"So!" Esme interjected on our little moment. "Bella, what do you do now?"
"Oh, I work at a publishing company. It's okay I guess." I said nervously.
"And Masen, what do you plan to do in the future."
"I don't know, maybe a rodeo clown? You know, something fun like that." He smirked. I knew then it was going to be a long dinner.
Return to the present
"I still think we should get a DNA test, check for sure." Alice was still glowering at me.
"You can't be serious, the two of them could be twins, they look like family." Esme said darkly.
"It still be a good idea, she might be lying about this whole thing, you know how Bella is." Alice sneered.
"Okay what is your problem with me?" I demanded.
"I had to pick my brother up off the floor because of you, because you left him!" she shouted,
"Alice, please, I had my reasons-"
"And then you bring him into our life." She pointed to Masen. "The arrogant little brat."
"Hey, you leave him alone, Masen's a good kid." Jasper said. Everyone looked towards him in shock. Jasper had also been extremely quiet the entire night. "You don't know anything about him and you have no right to judge him. And don't look down your nose at Bella either because she's done everything for that kid."
I looked at him appreciatively.
Masen glared at Alice. "Awe, did you have to help the itty bitty baby get over himself. I'm so sad for you." he sneered right back at her,
"See, this is what I mean, absolutely no respect. No discipline, a mother strung out on booze!" she snatched the bottle from my hand.
"Hey, I haven't had a real drink in 17 years. I have to stay coherent when I'm around him."
"Masen?" Carlisle's soft voice drifted across the table. Masen's eyebrows rose.
"Is there something you wanted Carlisle." He had been sizing up the older blonde man the entire night.
"What is it you like to do? You obviously don't spend the entire time at home doing nothing." He really was interested. Masen looked shocked, not once had he been asked what he liked.
"Oh…I like computers. And cyber robotics, that's what I've been studying." Masen didn't like talking about himself.
"That sounds interesting. Is that all you do or do you do other things. I know working with your computers has to take up a lot of time though." Carlisle offered. Masen looked to me for permission before speaking again.
"Um yes actually, I prefer to enter my work into science competitions, I'm a nationally ranked champion." Masen looked nervous for the first time that night.
"Really, that's a very prestigious honor. Your mother must be very proud of you." Carlisle smiled contentedly at my son…and then at me. It was one of the first few shows of kindness that I'd received that night. Masen appraised Carlisle again. Unlike his family, Carlisle didn't give off the aura of a rich doctor, he just seemed to give off kindness, contentness. And it was easy to see, Masen liked that.
'Well you'll catch more flies with honey that vinegar.' I shrugged, took the bottle from Esme's side of the table and sat back down.