Chapter 12

BPOV

I wondered where Edward and Masen had gone. When I arrived home, they were nowhere to be found I wondered what could have happened. I wasn't worried about Masen though. Edward didn't want to hurt Masen. I believed that he honestly cared about him. He seemed honestly interested in my son.

I sat down on the couch and waited.

Someone knocked at the door and I jumped up. Maybe they were home. I ran over to the door and opened it, expecting to see my son and Edward. Sadly, I was never ever that lucky. Esme stood there, her eyes serious. Carlisle, Rosalie, and Alice stood behind her.

"Aren't you going to let us in?"

"I'm seriously thinking against it." I said darkly. Better to just avoid confrontation and allow them inside. Esme and her posse shuffled through the doorway. I told them to sit down and then ran into the back room. I picked up the phone and quickly dialed Jasper's number.

"Hello?" He picked up after the first ring.

` "I've been ambushed!" I whisper screamed.

"What are you talking about Bella?" he sounded more amused than he should.

"They are her in my house and I don't have Masen's witty attitude to back me up. I'm toast." I was close to tears as I had often been when I was alone with his family. They cornered me a lot whenever Edward wasn't watching.

"Bella, we're waiting out here." I heard Rosalie shout.

"Please get over here as fast you can, I feel like I'm going to vomit." I pleaded with him. Jasper was my best friend even though there were rare occasions when I actually needed his help like I did now. Still, like the true hero he was, he always rose to my defense when I needed him the most.

"Don't worry Sugah, I'll be right over." He hung up. I smiled to myself and then huddled in the corner, I would have to wait him out before I through myself to the sharks. Maybe Masen would make some remarkable entrance and scare them away. I heard there quick raps on the door and quickly rushed to get it.

"Where you expecting guest?" Esme asked quietly.

"Actually yes." I opened the door and greeted Jasper heartily.

"Thank you for this." I whispered to him. He just nodded in response.

"How did I know it would be you?" Alice crossed her arms at him.

"I don't know, maybe you're psychic." Jasper glared at her with just as much intensity.

I sat down in one of my smaller chairs that usually sat around our kitchen table.

"So, what brings you all to this part of the neighborhood?" I asked shakily.

"Why else would we be here Bella, we're here to discuss my grandson." Esme looked at me as if I were the most stupid thing in the world.

"Well there's nothing to discuss, Masen's staying here with me." I said sharply.

"Watch your tone little girl." Rosalie sneered.

"We're the same age Rosalie."

"I wish we could just stop all of this arguing and talk about the situation like real people." Came Carlisle's calm voice.

"I am trying to be calm, she just won't cooperate-"

"I won't cooperate? What, did you expect me to hand my son over! He is not an item Esme, he is a person. There's no way in hell I'll let you take him from me without a fight." I snarled at her.

"Now you wait just a second! I am only thinking about the safety of the child."

"No you aren't. You're thinking about the safety of your reputation! Masen isn't like the rest of you, he never will fit his way into this high society life that you all have set up for yourselves. That jus isn't his way of doing things. If you can't accept that or you can't have him at all! Now I'm not against Masen being around family, he loved Charlie and Sue but that's because they treated him like an equal, because they recognized him for the what he is! One hell of a kid. If you're going to sit there and criticize me as a parent thinking you can tear my son away from me just like you did with Edward then you're wrong! The only way you'll be able to take him is over my dead body!" Esme couldn't respond for a few seconds, she just stared at me, gaping like a fish who'd been yanked out of water. I don't think I'd ever stood up to her before then.

"You little bitch!" Rosalie shouted at me. She towered over me when she stood up. I thought she might just slap me.

"Call me what you like, it doesn't change the facts. I am not afraid of you anymore."

"I think you all should leave before I call the cops." Jasper said as he watched them all. Alice glowered at him.

"Of course, Texan white trash to the rescue." She said snidely. I lunged at Jasper, pushing him back to the wall with all my might. He looked like he was ready to kill Alice.

"Get out, get out!" I screamed at tem trying my hardest to keep him at bay. I knew the only thing stopping him was the fact that he didn't want to hurt me.

"Mom, we're home!" the door swung open top reveal Masen and Edward. I know how it must have looked, me trying to restrain a barking mad Jasper with Alice and Esme watching him warily, Carlisle muttering to himself in the corner.

"I think I'll go back to the library, you all seem busy." Masen said quietly.

"Why do you need to go back, we were just there two hours ago." Edward reminded him.

"I forgot something."

"What'd you forget?"

"God Edward, leave it alone!"

"No, I don't think I will. Just tell me what the hell is going on!"

"I am going back to the library." Masen pushed Edward out of the way and ran down the street. Edward looked ready to go after him.

"Edward no, just let him go and clear his head." I told him.

"Let him go? Out on his own?" Esme demanded. "He could be doing anything!"

"I trust my son. He won't do anything stupid. He's just upset right now."

"Because when kids are upset, they run to the library to do a little light reading. Honestly Bella, could you be anymore naïve?" Rosalie threw her hands in the air.

"I know my son. He won't do anything wrong, he's a responsible young man." I defended him.

"Of course he is. You give a child freedom and next thing you know, they're on drugs, involved in sex rings!" Esme shouted at me.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Does Masen really seem like the kind of guy to end up in a sex ring? Let alone drugs? He isn't stupid." Jasper was finally starting to calm down.

"Edward, go find him." Esme commanded him.

"He's fine mom. Jasper's right, he won't get himself into trouble." We all looked at Edward in shock. Him disobeying a direct order from Esme was unheard of.

"I can't believe you all, he is a sixteen year old boy! He could be doing anything and you're all talking about trust? You can't let a child make there own deceasing!" she screamed.

"He's not a child, he's a young adult. I don't control him because he's a person! He's a good kid, you just keep looking for the worst!" I said angrily.

"Where are his manners Bella? Hm? He needs that not just to fit into high society, but into this world in general! You've raised him to be a failure." She said simply. This time Jasper had to hold me back.

"I thought I told you never to call my son a failure! He's brilliant and he'll grow up to be great!" I shrieked at her. Jasper finally sighed, he picked me up and carried me to the back room. I heard Edward telling his family to leave.

He set me down on the floor and patted my head.

"Don't do anything you'd regret, Esme's baiting you. You get an assault and she'll snatch Masen like that." He snapped his fingers. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

"She makes me so angry sometimes. I just, I don't know what I'm doing Jasper. I'm afraid, I'm angry, I'm confused, all at the same time! I just, I don't know what to do anymore. Tell me what to do!" I pleaded.

"I don't know Bella. I'm not a parent and I've never been involved in anything like this before. I really wish that I could offer you some sort of advice but I really have no idea how to tackle this situation." He said rather sullenly.

I plopped down onto the floor. "I just can't live like this! My son is afraid, he ran away from me Jasper. I can't stand to see him this way, alone and terrified. He'd never admit it but he really is scared." I twisted my hands in my hair. "I really am a bad mother. I don't know what to do."

"Bella." I looked up to see Edward standing next to Jasper. For once, they didn't seem hostile towards each other.

"You are in no way a bad mother. I spent the entire day with Masen…he's one heck of a kid and you raised him to be that way. He's special. Really special. And he loves you more than anything. Yes, he's afraid, but he'd do anything for you Bella because you raised him. The only way my mother can get a hold on him is through you, she's trying to get you riled up so you go down. Masen will be an open target." He sat down on the floor with me. "You aren't alone in this anymore." he whispered.

"I'll leave the room, this is more so between you two." Jasper ducked out of the room.

Edward nodded at him. Now was not the time to fight.

I moved to stand but Edward grabbed my hand.

"Stay with me."

"No. You are engaged. We cannot do this." I tried to yank my hand from his grasp. Edward stood up to his full height and looked me in the eye.

"I lost you once Bella."

"Don't do this Edward."

"I won't loose you again."

"Your fiancé will be angry."

"I don't care."

"I'm not some cheap hooker Edward. You can't just call on me whenever you want to."

"I know that."

"Do you?"

"Bella please. I've made mistakes, I want to fix this."

"There is nothing to fix."

"There's us."

"There is no us."

"I say there is."

"There isn't."

"Bella."

"Edward." I pursed my lips. This was getting us nowhere. Edward just smiled at my expression.

"Bella I still care about you."

"I think you should leave."

"I'm not going to."

"I'll call Jasper."

"We both know you're bluffing." He reached forward to cup my face. He stroked my cheek with his thumb for a few seconds before leaning in. My breath hitched, I was frozen, there was no avoiding the inevitable. The moment his lips touched mine, something inside me broke. I threw my arms around him, threaded my fingers in his hair and held him close. He wrapped his arms around me and didn't let go.

"This is wrong…" I said once we came up for air.

"Never say that Bella. Nothing about this is wrong."