ZOMG! Okay, it took me forever. I'm sorry. As you know, i had to read Breaking Dawn-- at first i hated the idea of what happened, but i have accepted it and now i LOVE it. Don't review this and bash it, please. Anyway, then after reading it, my computer completely stopped working and i had to get it fixed, which is why it has taken so long. Without my computer, i had to occupy myself by rereading The Host (love that book.) Okay, this is the chapter you guys have been waiting for! I know a lot of you already guessed what happens, but remember (i know I've said this before) that THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY THAN JUST THIS. More stuff happens after this chapter. Actually, a huge thing happens. You guys are just too good for your own good. I'm not as sneaky as i gave myself credit for.

so, here we go...CHAPTER 9!

The next few weeks passed without event. It was an unspoken rule that nobody was to bring up my dad, or anything that had to do with anyone's dad.

My mom had been happier than I have seen her in years. She has had a smile on her face almost the entire time since Dad came back. She has really accepted that her best bet in life is to move on and not let him ruin her life anymore. I'm really proud of her.

Edward and I have also grown closer since that night. We hang out even more and seem to get along even better- if that's even possible. Some nights he'll sneak in my window when we're sure my mom is in bed for the night, and we'll just hang out until he gets too tired and heads home for some sleep. Some nights, I'll tell my mom I'm spending the night with Alice--which is not exactly a lie, because Alice does join us-- and we'll all three hang out at Edward's house, upstairs and watch movies until we fall asleep.

All in all, I've been happy. So happy. Everything is so perfect.

Well, almost everything. Along with Edward's and mine newfound closeness, my feelings for him have become greater than i ever intended them to get. Every time I'm not around him, i think of him. Every time he touches me, i feel a spark. Every time he smiles that crooked smile at me, my heart stutters.

But, of course I know it will never work with him. I've already had this conversation with myself, and nothing has changed since.

The Monday that school got out for fall break, Alice invited everyone over to Edward's house (AKA her second house) to hang out. She wanted me to come over early so she could "make me even more beautiful than i already am." And there is no arguing with Alice.

After eating breakfast, i made my way next door after making sure Alice's car was parked outside.

I rang the doorbell only to have it answered by Alice, who was jumping up and down in excitement. However, her excitement did not mirror my own.

"Oh Bella, I'm so glad you're here! We're going to have so much fun! You're going to look absolutely gorgeous tonight! Not that you don't look gorgeous all the time..."

I rolled my eyes. I have no idea how anyone could possibly be this hyper this early in the morning.

"Okay, so what exactly are you going to do to me? I don't want you to go overboard. It's just going to be the six of us hanging out," I whined to her.

This time, she rolled her eyes and huffed. "Bella, calm down. I'm just going to choose your outfit, do your make up, hair, and nails. It'll be over before you know it," she clapped her hands together.

I groaned. This was the very last thing I wanted to do today.

Alice dragged me upstairs into the room that Edward's parents had set aside especially for her, and sat me down on a chair she had positioned in front of her mirror. On the desk in front of the mirror, she had a bunch of hair products, finger nail polish, and make up randomly scattered.

I groaned again. This was going to be a long day.

First, Alice put my hair up in hot rollers so I would have loose curls. I have to admit, I love my hair with curls. As soon as she put up the last of my hair, Edward walked into the room.

"Whoa, Bella! Nice hair," he started laughing, "Gosh Alice, what are you doing to the poor girl?"

I swear I heard Alice growl.

"Shut up , Edward. Her hair is going to look fabulous when it's done. Beauty has a price, you know." Edward rolled his eyes. "You care waaay too much about all this beauty stuff. Besides, Bella was beautiful before you put that crap in her hair."

I smiled at him. He returned it.

"Help me," I mouthed to him.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, leaning against the door jam, contemplating for a moment. After a bit, his eyes lit up and he held up a finger signaling for me to hold on.

Thankfully, Alice seemed oblivious to our little exchange.

Alice rambled on and on about inconsequential stuff for the next few minutes while I pretended to pay attention to what she was saying. She successfully took out all of the rollers from my hair and fixed it so it was half up and half down.

All of a sudden, I heard Edward's velvet voice from downstairs. "Alice! Phone's for you!"

Alice's face scrunched up. "That's funny. I didn't even hear the phone ring," she muttered as she headed for the door.

Almost immediately after Alice was gone, Edward glided into the room.

"Come on, Bella. Hurry. It won't take her that long to realize that nobody actually called her. I had to call her dad and pretend that he wanted to speak with her."

It took me a second to realize that the phone call was a ploy to get me out of here.

I jumped up and rushed out of the room. Alice was using the phone in the kitchen so Edward dragged me out the back door.

With his arm wrapped around my upper arm, he turned around and put his pointer finger of his other hand up to his lips. "Shh. If Alice hears you, she's going to drag you back up and torture you some more and I'm going to get in huge trouble for escape attempt."

I quickly shut my mouth and made my footsteps quieter.

Edward led me around to the back of the house when we heard Alice's bell-like voice ring out from by the back door.

"Edward, that wasn't funny! I just made a complete fool out of myself to my father! Where are you?"

Edward kept his finger up to his lips and quickly looked around frantically, looking for a place for us to hide in case Alice found out we were outside. He then grabbed my arm again and pulled me behind the shed that was about 20 feet away from where we were standing.

The space between the shed and the fence was pretty small, so Edward and I were nearly pressed up against each other. I felt color flood my cheeks.

We kept quiet while we listened to Alice calling for us inside. She came outside for a brief moment but I guess ran back inside when she didn't see us.

When her voice had disappeared upstairs and we were sure we weren't in danger of being found, Edward and I looked at each other and started bursting with laughter.

"Oh my gosh. Thank you so much, Edward. I don't think I could have handled much more of that. I don't know why Alice actually enjoys that stuff," I thanked him through my bouts of laughter.

He was still chuckling too. "No problem. It looked painful," he paused for a minute and became abruptly more serious. "But Alice was right. Your hair does look fabulous." He reached out and fingered a strand of my hair before he tucked it behind my ear.

In turn, I became serious too and looked into his scorching green eyes. He looked straight back into mine and I had never been more attracted to him.

His eyes kept flickering down to my lips and I couldn't help but let mine do the same. The longer we stared at each other, the more my breathing and heart beat picked up. All of a sudden, everywhere we were in contact with each other, burned. I could hardly think straight.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Edward's lips crashed down onto mine.

I couldn't think. My mind was incapable of creating a coherent thought. I couldn't breathe. I felt lightheaded.

As if my body was not connected to my mind, and before I actually knew what I was doing, my hands went to his hair to bring him closer. One of his hands went to my hair while the other one secured around my waist.

And then my mind caught up with my actions. I brought both of my hands away from his hair and placed them on his chest and gently pushed myself away from him.

I couldn't meet his eyes. "Edward. I-I-I'm sorry. I can't. I...just...can't."

Without looking at him, I ran. I ran through the gate and to my house. I didn't realize I was crying until I slammed the door and collapsed on the couch.

Luckily, my mom had taken Chase to a birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese for a boy at Chase's daycare, so she wasn't here to hear my breakdown.

Why the hell did he decide to kiss me? And why the hell did it have to feel so good, so...right?

And after the questioning, I started to worry. I had just made a huge fool out of myself. Obviously, he had just gotten caught up in the moment. There couldn't be another explanation. I had made a fool out of myself by kissing him back and by telling him I couldn't and running away after. Now he's going to think I have feelings for him and that I think he has feelings for me too (even though I really do have feelings for him).

After a while, I had cried myself out and just laid on the couch, curled up into a ball.

Not five minutes later, the front door burst open and Edward marched in. I sat up abruptly at the same time he spotted me on the couch. A look of relief flashed across his features.

"Bella..." he sighed.

A sob broke through. I thought I was holding those back pretty well.

Without any hesitation, he made his way over to me and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back, needing the comfort.

He stroked my hair while rocking back and forth slowly. "Bella, what's wrong? I'm so sorry about before. I didn't mean to attack you like that."

I pulled back and took a deep breath.

It was time to tell him everything.

"Edward, there's something I need to tell you," I kept my eyes on the couch as I spoke.

Edward seemed almost frantic. "What? What is it? Are you okay?"

I shook my head as I assured him, "I'm fine, Edward."

He calmed down a fraction. "Well, what is it?"

I cleared my throat and looked him in the eyes, squaring my shoulders. "Edward...Chase isn't my brother."

He looked confused, his eyebrows scrunched. "What do you mean he's not your brother? What, is he like your cousin or nephew or something?"

I shook my head and whispered, "He's my son." (all you people who guessed are too good.)

All his breath came out in a 'whoosh'.

"Your...Your son?" he asked at about the same volume I had spoken in.

I nodded. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Edward. I wanted to, I really wanted to, but I couldn't. It was so hard though. I feel like I can tell you anything."

I think he was in shock. He was breathing fast and he wouldn't make eye contact with me or anything. His eyes were wide and his jaw was hanging open.

I started to panic. Edward was my best friend, even if he couldn't be anything more than that, he was the best thing to ever happen to me. What if he found me extremely repulsive? Would he not want to have anything to do with me? I don't think I could stand that.

I was disgusted with myself, of course, but I had just started to forgive myself. If I hadn't gotten pregnant, I would have never met Edward, and that is something I wouldn't have traded for the world.

My family was stuck here, that much was for sure. My mother was finally happy. She had a good job for her and she had only been working there for about two months. She wouldn't want to leave it after acquiring it such a short while ago.

Chase was also becoming attached to the people at his daycare. He adored the other children and the adults that watched over them. Although he was not one for much talking before, he always had new stories to tell about his friends. Of course I wouldn't drag him away from that.

And, even if Edward didn't want to have anything to do with me, it would be worth it to stay just so I could see him every day, even if it was from a distance. It seemed like I had been around him so much that I could barely remember what it was like living without him right there with me. Of course, all the time I spent without him seemed absolutely dull and miserable compared to the past couple of months.

As Edward's silence went on, I became more and more nervous about his reaction.

He was now biting his lip, still not making eye contact with me, and the intensity of his gaze made me weak at the knees. It was a good thing I was already sitting down.

Nervously, with my voice wavering, I looked him in the eyes and asked, "Edward? Edward, please say something. I don't care what just say something."

He sighed and then looked up at me, this time making eye contact. "I-I don't know what to say, Bella," he said in a gentle, quiet voice.

I sighed. I guess I didn't expect any less.

"But," he continued, "I suppose I should ask what the story is before I..." he trailed off and sighed again.

I nodded my head slowly. "Yes. That's completely fair. I owe you that much."

The sadness in his green eyes sent a jolt of pain through my chest. I wish this conversation never had to happen. I wish there was some way to save him this sadness, this betrayal. Though, I must admit, I had no idea what the sadness was for. Having a friend that had a kid shouldn't make someone sad per say.

Unless...

Unless he was planning on cutting off all the ties we had. Unless he was trying to come up with a way to tell me that he didn't want to be seen associating with a teenage mother.

I almost started sobbing at the mere thought.

But I would understand. Of course I would. Teenage mothers were hardly ever looked upon with anything short of harsh judgment. I wouldn't want to ruin his reputation that way.

I just hoped he wouldn't tell anyone. I only told him because I had no choice. He was my best friend and told me everything about him. I owed him the same. I also had to tell him after the scene I made after he kissed me.

I smiled internally at the memory.

I realized then that Edward was waiting for an answer. I had been silent for a few minutes, and I'm sure he was getting impatient. "So, what's the story, Bella?" he asked, still in a gentle voice, to urge me on.

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath before diving into the complicated situation.

"Okay. When I lived in Phoenix, I was a part of the crowd that was considered 'popular' or whatever," I started, rolling my eyes at the mention of the word popular. Edward had his poker face on. "Anyway, so I was part of this huge crowd with a lot of 'friends' but none of them really cared about me, I mean really cared about me. We all hung out with each other, but I never felt a connection with any of them. There was no one in the crowd that I felt that I could tell everything to, and I didn't even have a lot to tell at that point of my life. Then, one of my friends introduced me to this guy named Robert (can you guess who I named him after?) and we hit it off. I still didn't feel that I could tell him everything, but I could definitely tell him more than any of the 'friends' I had." Of course the connection I had with Robert couldn't compare with the one I had with Edward. Not one bit. It was no contest.

"I was 14 at the time, though I was almost 15. Robert was in the grade above me but was actually two years older. He was held back when he was younger. So we went out for about five months and he was pressuring me to have sex with him but I always stood my ground. I knew that I wasn't anywhere close to being in love with him and I was way too young to even think about doing anything like that with anybody. He would always agree quickly, but he would bring it up again a few days later. Then, one night, I went to a party with him and he would not stop asking, pleading me to do it with him.

"He complained that all his other friends' girlfriends did it and it was my duty," I sneered the word, "as his girlfriend, to do it with him too. Finally, I agreed just to get him off of my back. The next morning he acted even more loving towards me and he was sweeter than he was before. At first, I thought that I hadn't screwed up as much as I had originally thought.

"But after I distinctly told him that I was not going to be doing it again any time soon, he started avoiding me, he started flirting with other girls-- and he probably cheated, I don't know for sure-- and he started treating me like dirt when he did talk to me. About four weeks of horrible treatment later, I found out I was pregnant. My mom found the pregnancy test and flipped. She got so so mad at me and told me to pack my bags. That night, we picked up and left. She had the movers take care of everything the next night.

"My mom told me not to contact any of my friends in Phoenix, ever. She took away my cell phone. Nobody knew why we left, nobody knows even today. Nobody knew we were even going to leave. I haven't talked to any of them since before I found out I was pregnant. My dad left when he found out. He didn't want to have anything to do with me. He wasn't all that happy with my mom either. Their marriage was already on the rocks.

"My mom took me up to Portland and home schooled me. She didn't want anyone to know about the pregnancy. She didn't want it to be a big deal. I then gave birth and as soon as I lost all my baby weight, and Chase was old enough that it was believable that he could be my mother's son, my brother, we moved here. She warned me to not tell anybody at all about it. As far as she was concerned, Chase was her son. We don't even acknowledge the fact that he's really mine at home. She pretends that the whole incident never happened."

When I finished, I was surprised at the amount of relief that I felt after getting all of that off my chest. I was surprisingly happy that Edward was in on my secret. I now had nothing to keep from him. He knew everything.

The whole time I was talking, Edward kept his straight face. I couldn't tell what he was really thinking. He did flinch every time I used the word 'pregnant' though. I could tell he was uncomfortable with the situation.

After a few minutes, he finally spoke. "So," his voice came out weak, so he cleared his throat before he continued. "So you're a mother?"

I couldn't tell what exactly his tone was. Was he just shocked? Was he angry? Was he disappointed? I assumed he would at least be the latter.

"Yes?" it came out more as a question. "That's why I have the scar on my stomach you were asking me about at the party. I had to have a C-section."

His mouth was still open. I think he was still having a hard time comprehending what I was saying. I knew that,before, he suspected I was hiding something; he was just unprepared for what the something entailed.

After about five minutes of silence, I couldn't take it anymore. I was going to drive myself crazy trying to guess what he was thinking. "Edward? Please say something." It was a weak plea.

"I-I don't know what to say. This is...a lot to take in," his tone was still hard to read.

Tears were running down my face now. "Please, Edward" I wasn't sure what exactly I was asking him for. To speak? To still want to keep me around? I didn't know.

He stood up off the couch. I panicked. "I just...need to think for a while, Bella. I just need to think."

And then he left.

GASP! Don't hate me. Everything will be resolved next chapter (well...not everything...but this mess will be at least). Okay, a few people saw this coming. Congrats to all of those who guessed correctly. I give you...a virtual hug. I want to once again apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I've been having some real big family problems lately. My older brother, who just turned 18 less than a week ago (who literally has the mental and emotional ability of a 15 year old because he lived in a Russian orphanage most of his life) decided he hates all of his family and moved out. He doesn't have a job, he doesn't have his license ,or a car. Nothing. He's staying at his friend's sisters. We also found out that the girlfriend he had that we didn't know about is pregnant and he dumped her. My family is going through a really rough time. Also, it took forever to get Word on this computer.

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