Chapter 9

BPOV

"You shouldn't ay things like that about Edward. He is still your father. I know you don't like him but please, dear god, stop saying those kinds of things!" I wanted to cry, I wanted to cry so badly and yet I couldn't, I couldn't show that kind of weakness in front of him.

"Why do you keep defending him, like you still care about him or something!"

I flinched.

Masen didn't miss a beat. "You do still care about him! What in the world is wrong with you? Where is the strong intelligent woman that raised me? Mom, he's a jerk, he's engaged. You can't rope yourself into that kind of thing." He grabbed my shoulders and shook me lightly. "It's a recipe for disaster."

"That has nothing to do with you. My feelings aren't the ones that matter here Masen. You and Edward need each other. I hate to force you into things but of you just give it a chance, you'll see how much you could learn from them, from Edward." I wasn't above pleading with him.

"You have officially lost your mind. What could I learn from that nimrod? He's an idiot. Mom, his career is far more important than the two of us. He doesn't like me. I don't like him, why can't you just leave I at that?" he demanded.

"Because I know what it feels like to grow up in a broken home! I never wanted you to end up the same way I did. I love you too much."

"What about our home is broken? The fact that daddy dearest isn't around? What's so bad about that? I actually kind of prefer it that way. We don't need him."

"You need a father!"

"Why, some of the greatest people in the world have grown up without a father. It makes you stronger, more responsible. You and I don't need him. Heck, you want a man so bad, go screw Jasper. I'm sure he wouldn't object." My mouth dropped open. Sure Jasper was attractive, that was undeniable but…me and him, it just didn't make since.

"Do you ever think before you speak? Jasper is my friend. It is possible for a man and a woman to be friends without having a sexual relationship." I crossed my arms at him.

"Yeah right. Didn't you and daddy dearest start off as friends. And yet, here I stand."

"I can't deal with this right now. I think I'm going to go take some aspirin and go to bed. Please just…just go do something." I put my head in my hands and left for my room. Why was he doing this to me? What had I done to deserve to be stuck in the middle? Who's side was I on? I knew I shouldn't pressure Masen to do something he wasn't comfortable with and he most certainly wasn't comfortable with Edward's family. So why was I so determined to make him a part of it. Maybe it's because secretly hoped he could be what I never was. That he could exist in their society and actually look the part. I fell back on my pillow and began to cry. What had I been thinking? Masen would never exist comfortably in Edward's world. I has been the one making things so miserable for him. Why hadn't I seen that from the beginning? I closed my eyes, the silent tears still rolling down my cheeks. I had to face facts, my son was my number one priority. It was my job to stand up for him…even it meant breaking my own heart in the process.

A knock woke me up in the middle of the night. I stood up groggily and stumbled out my bedroom to get the door. I was still wearing my outfit from the exposition. I yanked off the necklace and then the earrings. The doorbell rang again.

"I'm coming, keep your hair on!" I shouted. I pulled the door open to see Alice Masen standing there. She looked me up and down before shaking her head.

"Not drunk I hope, I have some important things to talk to you about." She said sharply.

"I am not drunk. It is one o'clock in the morning. I was asleep and personally, I would very much like to go back. What in the world possessed you to show up at this time in the morning?" I glowered at her.

"Isabella please. I was just going over this matter with my family and I thought I should be the one to bring this to your attention. My brother is engaged to one of the most important women in this nation. Don't think that you bring that little imp you call a son into his life will somehow drag him back to you." now that made me sober up.

"What the heck is running through your head right now, Alice? You're the smart one. I don't want Edward back, why would I have left if I'd wanted him?" I blinked rapidly at her.

She ignored me and began walking around the room, her eyes landing on the picture taken earlier that day, at the ice cream parlor.

"I thought you all said you wouldn't be celebrating." She said darkly.

"Masen wanted something more private, something more family oriented." I supplied.

"Jasper isn't family. Yet he comes with you to all of our family events. Are you two together, like a couple?" she asked rather lightly.

"No, Jasper is my neighbor and my friend. He's also rather fond of Masen and Masen is rather fond of him. They share a friendly bond. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that Alice." I snapped at her. she wasn't the first to assume things about Jasper and I.

"My mother is prepared to take legal action. She doesn't believe that you are a good caretaker for him. He's not very polite." Now that made me angry.

"You think that would make him like you? That it would make him like your family? Alice you take him away from me and he'll hate you all for the rest of his life."

"He'll get over it." she went through her purse. "Listen Bella, we don't want this to get ugly. Tanya and Edward would make great pare-"

"Go to hell. And the get the hell out of my house." I growled. I was very tempted to load the revolver my father had left me when he died.

"Bella. we don't want to make this difficult."

"She said get out." I looked past Alice to see Jasper standing in the still open door.

"Saw this one get out of her car and scamper up the steps. Thought I'd come and check it out. Good thing too." he swaggered into the room.

"Thank you Jasper." I said quietly.

"Listen Bella. I love Edward, I really care about him. I'm just doing what's best for everyone."

"Then why don't you get off your high horse and actually look at the situation. Masen isn't going to take that, he's to smart for you little lady." Jasper drawled at her.

"You sure seem to know a lot about him for neighbor." She snapped.

"Alice, I think you should leave. I'm already stressed out as it is. I don't need this." I could feel the tears coming.

"Bella-"

"Leave." Jasper nearly shouted at her. She looked like she wanted to hit him but left anyway. I collapsed, tears running down my cheeks. Jasper was at my side within seconds. He held my shoulders comfortingly.

"They're going to take him away from me!" I sobbed. "They're going to take him away."

"Bella, no they are not. Masen won't allow that." He promised me.

"You're right," I sniffled. "Besides, he's almost seventeen, he's old enough to make his own decisions.

EPOV

"You cannot be serious!" I shouted at my mother.

"Edward calm down." She said seriously.

"No! You sent Alice over there to tell her that you want custody of her son. Are you crazy?" I demanded.

"She's not fit to take care of him. You've met the boy."

"Mom! He loves Bella. if you take him away from her, he'll be miserable. Why would you even think of doing something that stupid?" I stomped my foot angrily.

"She's right Edward, the boy,"

"The boy is just fine Alice. You saw him yesterday. He knows how to behave! He just doesn't like us. Taking him away from his mother isn't going to make things any better. You think she's just going to stand by while you strip away the one speck of happiness she has left? No! Mom, the only way you could possibly take that boy from her is over her dead body."

"Edward. I understand where you're coming from."

"No you don't. What would you have done if someone had taken us from you when we were younger? Mom please, how could you do that to another mother, to someone who loves her child just as much as you love us!" I was trying to make her see how wrong it all really was.

"This is about what's best for the child."

"No, this is about you making him conform, making him something he's not! He won't fit into this family because this," I waved my hands around to make my point, "This isn't his thing. He likes science and stuff that we don't understand, why would you want to change him?" I asked.

"Not change, simply make better." She tried.

"What is there to make better. He's a great kid. Sure, he's a brat, he's an ass. We all already know that. That doesn't give you the right to strip him away from his mother. He's just a child. He doesn't know you, he doesn't want to be around you because all you've done is treat him like crap!" my mother's mouth dropped open.

"How dare you speak to me that way!" she snarled. However, I wasn't paying attention. Suddenly, some of the most important things clicked. This was why Bella had left without a word. My family had treated her just as they were treating Masen. I had been too foolish to see it. The entire time, she had been suffering, yet she stayed because she loved me. Still in the end, her love for her son won out. She didn't want him to put up with everything the way she did.

"Edward, I'm only thinking about the child-"

"No, you're only thinking about yourself. Masen knew that right off the back. He saw right through you." I looked around the room and suddenly everything seemed wrong. Nothing seemed to fit anymore. "I'm leaving, I have to talk to Bella. You've probably freaked her out." I grabbed my jacket and went out the door. I had to find Bella and apologize.

"Edward, don't do this! We're just trying to help him!" Esme chased after me.

"You aren't helping him. He doesn't need your help mom. He's smarter than you think." I felt kind of strange, I was talking about Masen like I like the kid. What was there to like? He was disrespectful, imprudent, and rude. Yet, he looked after his mother, he stuck up for her even when it meant standing up to my family. The annoying asshole was just a cover, there was someone real underneath and I was determined to find out more about him.

I climbed into my car and set a course for Bella's house. She was standing on the porch, talking to Jasper. I watched the two of them for a few moments. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. He laughed lightly, hugged her and then proceeded back his home. My hands clenched the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles turned white. Why had she kissed him? Why? What did he have that I didn't have? I was charming, I was wealthy, I was handsome, he was….Jasper. Then again, he did have an accent. Most women found that attractive. Then again, Bella wasn't most women. I leaned back in the seat of my car when someone knocked on my window.